Toilets in Beijing to get new scrutiny

Beijing has issued the first guideline in the nation requiring that toilets in the restaurant industry receive daily inspections.

Restaurants should disinfect their toilets at least once a day, and check the restrooms every 15 minutes during peak hours, according to a guideline released by the Beijing Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.

It’s an important move for the capital to improve the quality of restrooms in restaurants, said Jiang Junxian, director of the China Cuisine Association, adding that it’s important for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which will see many foreign and domestic visitors.

Toilets in the capital’s restaurants are often stinky and filthy, Jiang said. “Owners of restaurants have paid more attention to outward appearances,” he said. “They rarely make an effort with the toilets.”

The association has been designated to implement the guidelines, Jiang said, and it aims to supervise 5,000 restaurants in the capital by the end of the year.

The guideline also detailed the disinfection

An examination of the toilets every 15 minutes during peak hours is hard to do.”