Belize City Sale of Food By-Laws

CHAPTER 40 BELIZE CITY SALE OF FOOD BY-LAWS ARRANGEMENT OF BY-LAWS 1. Short title. 2. Provisions to apply to premises where food sold. 3. Register of employees. 4. Fitness of premises. (Section 65) 1. These By-laws may be cited as the Belize City Sale of Food By-Laws. 2. From and after the coming into force of these By-laws the following provisions shall apply to any room, shop or other part of a building within the city of Belize in which any article whether solid or liquid (save and except entire and unpeeled fresh fruit which are not usually eaten unpeeled) intended or adapted for the food of man is sold or exposed for sale or deposited for the purpose of sale or of preparation for sale or with a view to future sale: (a) no urinal, water-closet, earth-closet, privy, ashpit or other like sanitary convenience shall be within such room, shop or other part of a building or shall communicate therewith except through the open air or through an intervening ventilated space; (b) no drain or pipe for carrying off faecal or sewage matter shall have any inlet or opening within such room, shop or other part of a building; (c) no such room, shop or other part of a building shall be used as a sleeping place and so far as may be reasonably necessary to prevent risk of the infection or contamination of any such article as aforesaid, no sleeping place shall adjoin such room, shop or other part of a building and communicate therewith except through the open air or through an intervening ventilated space; (d) refuse or filth whether solid or liquid shall not be deposited or allowed to accumulate in any such room, shop or other part of a building except so far as refuse may be reasonably necessary for the proper carrying on of trade or business; (e) due cleanliness shall be observed in regard to such room, shop or other part of a building and all articles, apparatus and utensils therein and shall be observed by persons engaged in such room, shop or other part of a building; (f) if any person occupies or lets or knowingly suffers to be occupied any such room, shop or other part of a building wherein any of the conditions prohibited by these By-laws exist, or does or knowingly permits any act or thing therein in contravention of these By-laws, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding for a first offence five dollars and for every subsequent offence twenty-five dollars and in either case to a daily penalty not exceeding five dollars. 3. No person shall be employed in a restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated waters manufactory unless he is registered in the manner hereinafter provided: (a) Every local authority shall keep a register known as the Restaurants Register wherein shall be registered all persons employed in restaurants, refreshment shops, eating houses or aerated waters manufactories. (b) No person shall be registered unless he shall first produce a certificate signed by the Local Authority to the effect that he is a fit and proper person to be employed in a restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated waters manufactory. (c) Such certificate shall bear a date not more than three days earlier than the date of its production by the person to whom it relates. (d) Every person employed in a restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated water manufactory, shall, after an interval not exceeding three months from the date of the certificate which he shall have last produced, produce to the local authority a further certificate in the same form as that required by paragraph (b) of this by-law bearing date not more than three days earlier than that of its production to the local authority. (e) The local authority shall cause to be removed from the Restaurants Register the name of any person who shall not within the preceding three months have produced the required certificate. (f) The occupier of any restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated waters manufactory shall exhibit in a prominent position in such restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated waters manufactory a statement showing the names, addresses and date of registration of all persons employed therein and if he fails to state or states incorrectly any matter required to be stated therein he shall be guilty of an offence under this by-law. (g) Every person who is employed or employs or causes any other person to be employed in a restaurant, refreshment shop, eating house or aerated waters manufactory without being registered or without the proper certificate shall be guilty of an offence under this by-law. (h) Any person guilty of an offence under this by-law shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars. 4. (1) Every person who is using or who intends to use any place as a hotel, boarding house, aerated waters manufactory, restaurant, eating house, refreshment shop or cookhouse, shall make application in writing to the local authority, setting out his full name and a correct description of the premises so used or intended to be used, and if the Local Authority certifies that the premises specified in the application are fit for use as such and are provided with a proper and sufficient water supply they shall issue to the applicant a certificate to that effect. Any certificate issued under this by-law shall be renewable annually on the 1st day of January of each year: Provided that the local authority shall not grant a certificate of renewal unless the Board certifies that such premises are fit for use as a hotel, boarding house, aerated waters manufactory, restaurant, eating house, refreshment or cookhouse. (2) Any person who shall use any place as a hotel, boarding house, aerated waters manufactory, restaurant, eating house, refreshment shop or cookhouse without having first obtained a certificate as hereinbefore provided, shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars.