Business hit with health order
Freshest Foods and Vegetables in Charlottetown, currently under renovation, told to stop processing food to avoid risk of contamination
A Charlottetown business that sells fruits and vegetables has been hit with a health order by provincial health inspectors.
Freshest Fruits and Vegetables on University Avenue was told on Jan. 20 to immediately cease processing food.
The business, located in a building that used to be a Needs convenience store, had previously been selling whole, unprocessed fruits and vegetables which meant it did not require an operating licence from the health department.
However, Ryan Neale, manager of environmental health for the Chief Public Health Office, said the owners are in the process of renovating the business to expand the operation, which then required it to be licensed. Therefore, in response to new products and food handling practices that were occurring, the department began an inspection process.
The first inspection took place on Nov. 7. Inspectors noted items that needed to be addressed before a licence could be issued. Another inspection occurred on Nov. 14, and there were still items that needed to be addressed.
The next inspection took place on Jan. 15 where inspectors found that items noted on the previous two inspections were still not corrected. The health order was then issued on Jan. 20.
Neale said the issues surround receiving items in bulk and then repackaging and food handling.
“When you start cutting those up and packaging or getting bulk items in and repackaging there’s significant food handling required there,’’ Neale said. “For example, food was not protected from contamination when some work was going on in the premises.’’
He added that a health order was issued to eliminate the risk of food contamination and any risk to public health.
Luba Kaboush, who coowns Freshest Fruits and Vegetables with her husband, Burhan, said they are taking the health order very seriously.
“We are in the process of looking after the matter,’’ Kaboush told The Guardian, noting that they only moved into the location in December 2018. “When we moved (into) our store we entered an old building. We’re not the owners of the building so we have to work together with the owner of the building to get things situated the way the health department wants it to be.’’
Kaboush said they are small business owners just trying to make a living and are doing their best to fall under the provincial regulations.
“We’re (also) trying to find people to work on the renovations and these things take time. It just doesn’t happen. Dealing with an old Needs store . . . there’s a lot of renovations that need to be done, it’s not easy. The health department was notified about that.’’