A license to eat safely in Damascus

The Ministry of Health tries to ensure quality control within kitchens of hotels and restaurants in Damascus. Have these measures succeeded? Or is there still much to be done?

Competition is on the rise in the Syrian food industry. As end users, we ask ourselves: ‘what do we look for in restaurants and what makes a restaurant distinctive?’ We have quality in Damascene restaurants that offer a delicious variety of Syrian cuisine. We have wholesome meals, since Arab food is famed for being nutritious and diversified. We have competitive prices, where one can ‘ill the table’ with a wide variety of dishes while paying minimum charge when compared to similar restaurants around the world. We have a kind and warm staff serving customers, and most importantly, safety when eating in these places.

Restaurants in Damascus, just like restaurants anywhere, are certainly not perfect. When compared to the number of food poisoning stories were hear about in the United States and Europe, our Damascene restaurants are not to be condemned. Damascus and Aleppo may be the safest places to eat, but certainly, we must find ways to make our restaurants—all of them—safer and better.

FW visited the Ministry of Health to inquire about standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Syria. Food inspection in all Syrian restaurants is obligatory, conducted by the Ministries of Health, Tourism, and Supply. Opening a restaurant requires a license granted by the Ministry of Health, abiding by strict government regulations, standards, and policies. These include adequate kitchen design, medical authorization to operate, clean water, etc. Periodic reports are presented to authorities by government inspectors who while working undercover, visit the restaurants on a regular basis.

In conformity with the theoretical methods of food inspection, inspectors look at the premises’ interior and exterior, the kitchen’s design, the staff (personal hygiene, clean and ironed clothes, an updated medical record, etc), and water supply. They also inspect cooking products by checking expiry dates and freshness of ingredients.

If shortcomings are noted, an owner is given three chances before being closed down by the government. The first ‘warning’ is verbal from government authorities. If no improvement is noted, a second warning is delivered in writing. Again, if no change takes place, a fine is imposed starting from 500 SP ($10 USD) based on how serious the problem is. To name a few problems that merit a government warning: cross contamination risk in the fridge (for example: raw meat stored next to cooked food, or uncovered food in the fridge), expired products, and an invalid medical check-up that is more than three months old. Risks of closure also apply for owning a restaurant without a proper license (small restaurants or family businesses for example, don’t bother to ask for a license), or if samples are analyzed and found to have a high level of bacterial contamination (most cases occurring in mayonnaise, shawerma, and raw vegetables). Reports of food poisoning within the restaurant are also adequate reason for closure. After investigation, followed by the Health Ministry’s verdict, police decide whether or not to close the restaurant, depending on how serious are its violations. Most restaurants are closed down during the summer because of the tourism season. Greedy owners sometimes resort to sneaking low quality or expired goods for less cost, and higher revenue.

The Ministry official commented: “The five star hotels are excellent. With them, there is no need to worry. And the restaurants on the way to the (Damascus International) airport can be trusted up to 75%. They are very nice but not all the restaurants in that area are aware of sanitary and quality procedures. We can find mistakes.” He praised the Ayn al-Fijja restaurants (at the famed water spring near Damascus), saying that they are very clean and cooking is done by housewives; “It feels like you are eating homemade kebbeh and it’s delicious… But mistakes can happen anywhere. Even in five star hotels…”

To complete this article, I took permission to visit the kitchen of a famous ive star restaurant that also caters to coffee shops around Damascus. I couldn’t help but notice that the kitchen was 100% male-dominated. Not a single woman was working on the premises except for one at the front desk. The Executive Chef welcomed me and guided me through the kitchen. Introducing himself, he said that he studied in Lebanon and Switzerland, adding, “there are a couple of hotel management schools in Damascus but they are too theoretical. There are no practical courses and the level of education is not that good.” The kitchen is divided into sections and has an organized structure. A pesticide company comes every two days to prevent pest and rodent hazard. The fridges are well organized and clean. Several sinks are provided to the staff for regular hand-wash. Each employee has his own medical record book and is asked to have routine check-ups every three months. The chefs were wearing hair restraints but no gloves during service. According to the Executive Chef they only wear them for food preparation at the beginning of work. The meat and poultry are local, frozen and used within 48-hours. My overall opinion was satisfactory; at least we can trust 5-Star restaurants.

From here, I interviewed the manager of a new hotel in Damascus, who has 25-years of experience in the food and hotel management business, yet nevertheless, preferred to remain anonymous. He said that standards and quality should be improved and more efficiently implemented. The Ministries of Health and Tourism must raise people’s awareness in sanitary operations and facilities, and teach them about the different kinds of hazards (microbiological, chemical, and physical) that are found in food. Conferences must be organized to update people working in this business about safety procedures being implemented around the world. Schools and learning centers don’t seem to emphasize how important hygiene is, along with good manufacturing practices, and transportation and storage of material and equipment. This seemed to echo what had been said by the Ministry official, who noted that education was “what we lack in the country.” He added, “Young people work in the kitchens. They come from poor backgrounds and have no clue about food services. The restaurants organize very poor training for the staff (or no training at all). They get most of the information from inspectors who issues warnings and advice when visiting the premises.”

To raise the level of education and efficiently apply their knowledge, students should count more on practice and less on books. Education in this field is too theoretical, he added. More training and work experience should be prerequisites for employment in any kitchen, whether in a restaurant, hotel, cafeteria, or hospital. Written and practical exams should be organized by the ministries to see whether an employee is suitable for this kind of job. Certification should be given by the government. New books with more illustrations should be used. Awareness posters should be plastered on kitchen walls to constantly remind the staff how important hygiene is (with illustrations, for example, of washing hands between operations and slogans like: “Clean as you go!).”

In Syria, there is no other choice but to acknowledge government inspection. In other words, there is no private inspection. Creating an auditing office working independently from the government is a big must. According to the anonymous manager, “it is impossible and hardly accepted in the mentality of the country. It would be like intruding to politics and we don’t want to open wounds; why would you do that?” Yet, there might be slight hope if the government authorizes an internationally certified auditing company that would be willing to open a branch in Syria. “It’s a risky business that will show the laws in government inspection.”