Evaluation Of Quantitative Scale Administration On Food And Beverage Industry In Shaoxing County

BackgroundFood safety has become a more and more prominent focus and food hygienic supervision just faces the severe challenge. Shaoxing County, as a well-to-do economic area, has a more developed food and beverage industry with variety of the better and worse hygienic condition. The rule of quantitative scale administration (QSA) on food and beverage industry is gradually spreading over China at present. Some defects emerged during the execution of QSA.ObjectiveWith the performance assessment at practice QSA on food and beverage industry in Shaoxing County, and comparison the risk level of corporation and the frequency of hygienic supervision (labor cost) between before and after implementation of QSA, to make some constructive suggestions on spreading andexecuting QSA on food and beverage industry.MethodsAccording to the Hygienic Admission Checkup Quantitative Scale Table on Food and Beverage Industry and the Usual Hygienic Supervision Quantitative Scale Table on Food and Beverage Industry, established by the Ministry of Health of the People' s Republic of China, the hygienic conditions before and after implementation of QSA at 70 restaurants during first month after Chinese spring festival in 2003 and 2004 were quantitatively scoring. The normal absent items at the quantitative scale table were processed by statistic standardization and calculated the risk level of corporation and the frequency of hygienic supervision. The frequency of hygienic supervision and unsatisfactory reports to these restaurants were estimated from data before execution QSA by healthy supervision and management software. All data were analyzed by statistics.ResultsThrough execution of QSA, significant improvement occurred at 17 larger and 53 smaller restaurants. The progress has been made in the both of hygienic admission quantitative index (hygienic management, room and layout, food storage, hygienic appliance, and special field) and usual healthy supervision quantitativeindex (hygienic management, raw material stock and storage, environmental sanitation, processing procedure and sanitary guarantee, and tableware sterilization). The risk level of corporation and the frequency of hygienic supervision had significantly statistic difference (P<0. 05). After operation of QSA, the unsatisfactory reports to the restaurants and frequency of hygienic supervision decreased obviously.ConclusionAs a more scientific way of the food hygienic administration, QSA can operate concretely, enhance the activity between the administrator and supervisees instead of single administrative initiative before QSA actualization, ameliorate the impression of the hygienic administration, better the supervision pattern, and improve supervisory efficiency. There are some deficiencies occurred during carrying out and spreading of QSA. The criteria designed could not be commendably applied to the actual situation, such as indistinguishable treatment to different corporation scope; the scoring criteria not in detail; and too many items that can be vetoed by one vote. Extension of QSA should adjust measures to local condition and execute actually. Those who attend to spread QSA should be considerably educated. Supervision to the corporation below C level of food hygiene should be performed effectively.