(Dec 24) AFTER reading the news reports on the recent PrimaDeli food poisoning scare and the enforcement action taken by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), one cannot help but wonder how hygiene standards are maintained at hawker centres, coffee shops, foodcourts and wet markets.

Although these businesses are not all million-dollar concerns like PrimaDeli's, its fate could well befall any of them.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has taken positive steps to ensure quality control, with food stall ratings such as A, B, C, which indicate their hygiene standards. Some stalls are holding their C or B ratings all year round, but never an A for many years.

What steps are taken to encourage the lower-graded stalls to make the A grade, with better handling, storage and processing of food?

Different hawker centres have different cleaning management systems.

Most of them engage part-time workers (the 'uncles' or 'aunties') to do the cleaning during peak hours, while others outsource the job to cleaning companies.

The part-timers are a worry to many hygiene- conscious patrons, as some of these workers clear food waste at tables using the same piece of rag.

If AVA microbiological swabs of the tables are taken, I am sure there will be traces of all sorts of bacteria. Yet, customers eat at, and put their tissue paper on, these tables and wipe their mouths with the same tissue paper later.

The used plates and bowls are also often returned to the respective stalls for 'cleaning' in pails of brownish soap water. Also, cold tap water - not hot water - is used.

What steps are taken to overcome this poor aspect of the cleaning process?

Often, the designated smoking areas have no ash trays provided. Smokers just dump the cigarettes butts into the drinking cups or eating bowls. Cigarette butts and ashes can stain the cups and bowls if not washed properly, and are harmful to health.

Many owners of coffee shops and foodcourts are rapidly upgrading and expanding their premises. But some of them do so by trying to squeeze in stalls right next to the toilets.

Many existing toilets are also dirty, and fittings such as wash basins, floor traps and exhaust fans are in bad working conditions. The main door frames are sometimes sagging and hinges are faulty, allowing the stench to get to the cooking or eating areas.

Can the authorities look into making it compulsory to have automatic sliding doors and self-flushing mechanisms for all toilets at eateries?

Fun Chee Heng