IHRRA assures clean, safe food during food festival
The Iloilo Hotels Resorts and Restaurants Association (IHRRA) assures that the food to be sold by some 27 hotels and restaurants during the Dinagyang Festival Food Festival are "clean" and free from any contamination, thus will not cause any food borne illness.
IHRRA Press Relations Officer John Nofuente said they have been participating in the food festival for almost 18 years and they have not received any report that the food sold in the kiosks of IHRRA members caused any food poisoning from among its customers.
The concerns on food poisoning or food borne illness was raised during the media briefing on the city's Dinagyang preparation as an aftermath on what happened in Cebu City during the recent ASEAN summit where performers were brought to hospitals because of food borne illness.
Nofuente, who is also the in-charge of the IHRRA's food festival committee said all their members have their own procedures in food preparation, handling and storing. The association has no records of any food poisoning incidents during the food festival.
Chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria can cause food borne illness. Bacteria related food poisoning is the most common, but fewer than 20 of the thousands of different bacteria actually are the culprits. Poor personal hygiene, improper cleaning of storage and preparation areas and unclean utensils cause contamination of raw and cooked foods. Mishandling of raw and cooked foods allows bacteria to grow.
Nofuente's statement was also concurred by IHRRA President Robert Ferrer. He said all the participating hotels and restaurants under the association are legitimate members. They are observing proper sanitation and hygiene when it comes to food preparations.
The food festival initiated by IHRRA is set from January 25-28 along Iznart-Delgado Streets and Valeria Delgado. In the food festival, participating hotels and restaurants are encourage to prepare native delicacies or aside from their specialty's. Local bands and movie stars are also expected to have a show at the IHRRA food festival.
In this year's food festival, the association will allow the kiosks to serve soft drinks and beers in bottles unlike in previous years wherein only canned drinks are allowed during the food festival. The use of bottled drinks are permitted, provided the kiosks occupants will immediately get the bottles after the customer finish his drink, said Nofuente.
The practice to allow the kiosks to use bottled drinks instead of canned drinks is designed by the association in order to discourage little children from coming to the customers tables. There are kids who took the cans even if the customer has yet to finish his or her drink, added Nofuente.
Other than the food preparation, allowing bottle drinks, the association also asked each participating kiosks to equip themselves with a "whistle." The whistle will serve as sign that a trouble is about to happen. The area for the IHRRA food festival will be secured by both uniformed and non-uniformed police personnel and six blue guards hired by the association to maintain peace and order.