Kazan catering industry: ''The most unpleasant thing that can happen at 2018 WC is poisoning of guests''

Fine from 20,000 to 1 million rubles

The meeting in the Entrepreneur's House in Kazan didn't have the scale it was expected to be on. No more than 30 instead of 120 entrepreneurs who had applied came. Neither was there the key speaker – head expert of the Product and Service Certification Centre Gulnara Nagumanov with 30-year-old working experience in the Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology suddenly got sick. Instead, leading certification specialist of the same centre Aygul Idrisova answered the businesspeople's questions.

''In case of the non-compliance with the technical regulation, a fine can be 20,000 to 1 million rubles. But the most unpleasant thing that can happen is poisoning of guests. In this case, it's impossible to avoid the suspension of operations for up to 90 days by court's decision,'' told Aygul Idrisova.

She said that the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare was very careful about mistakes in production. Moreover, they have a big number of complaints about the very situation in kitchens. She didn't name a specific number of remarks of controlling bodies. But it was mentioned in handouts that they had been ''detected in large numbers'' in enterprises in recent time. The Tatarstan administration of Rospotrebnadzor hasn't replied to our request for frequent breaches of entrepreneurs.

''The non-compliance of neighbouring products, when meat, for instance, is stored next to fish, can be simply forgotten and unnoticed by carelessness. The remarks are about food, provision storage rule, non-compliance with technological flows. We had to see when rolls were made in a meat shop – it's a very serious breach. Or mors is prepared in big containers in summer, they are put down, while something defrosts on shelves and drips on beverages, which is categorically prohibited,'' told Aygul Idrisova.

Rospotrebnadzor often has remarks are about food, provision storage rule, non-compliance of technological flows. Photo: Oleg Tikhonov

Salad poisoning

There have been cases when the guests got poisoned by lettuce, which they themselves had brought with them to a banquet. Although it is strictly forbidden to do this — only alcohol and fruits are allowed to bring, but not finished products, experts explain.

The leading certification specialist admitted that violations can be found in almost every cafe and restaurant. Everyone will be checked by the World Cup, she warned, ''We did it before the Universiade, the goal was to identify as many violations as possible and to issue fines,'' Aygul Idrisova recalls.

At the same time, the requirements are strict for everything in the sphere of public catering, even for placing glasses, ''For example, there are glasses in the servery zone — just on cotton fabric, but they must be on a perforated surface, this is a violation,'' the speaker gave an example. But Rospotrebnadzor does not check the staff of cafes and hotels for mandatory knowledge of English — this is required by other services.

In the sphere of public catering, the requirements are strict for everything, even for placing glasses. Photo: Roman Khasaev

HACCP for everyone

It turned out that not all entrepreneurs are aware of the latest amendments, which were adopted already three years ago. Since 2015, for all catering outlets there is the mandatory system of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, food safety management and control at all stages — editor's note).

''There is hardly 20% of those working by the system, — they do not consider it necessary. Rospotrebnadzor perceives it affordable, and when it comes to inspections or complaints, they ask to show the documents. This is a system that combines everything from the acceptance of raw materials to serving the products. The remaining 80% work by the previous requirements of production control, they neglect the new rules,'' commented the expert.

At the same time, the transition to the new system requires from 50 to 80 thousand rubles — for example, on new journals, documentation.

''Now it's a compulsory thing, we will implement it. There had been a lot of offers on the market before. I am sure that the new system has its advantages,'' said Ekaterina Umerbaeva, the manaing director at Big Butcher Grill.

Oleg Akimov, the director of the cafe Baden-Baden, added that his establishment is yet to be opened, but they certainly introduce HACCP. ''The system is necessary. This will lead to that any person will get good service,'' the director admitted.