Gangdong-gu Supports Hygiene Consulting Visits for Small Restaurants

Hygiene Management Consulting and Education for Single-Person Operated Restaurants Aged 65 and Over

‘Walking with the Vulnerable’ Systematically Supports Hygiene-Weak Businesses

Kangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Su-hee) announced on the 21st that it will operate visiting hygiene consulting and education until September to help small-scale self-employed business owners practice food hygiene management on their own.

The district conducted on-site surveys and preliminary diagnoses at small-scale general restaurants operated by business owners aged 65 and over in Cheonho-dong, designated 34 establishments confirmed to be willing to participate among those needing customized hygiene management support, and has been providing 1:1 on-site hygiene consulting and education for each establishment since May.

Currently, out of a total of 3,965 general restaurants located in Kangdong-gu, more than half (1,991 establishments) are in Seongnae and Cheonho-dong. In particular, there are 93 small-scale (area under 66㎡) establishments operated by business owners aged 65 and over in Cheonho-dong alone, who face difficulties in hygiene management due to low information accessibility. This number is twice the average of 41 establishments per neighborhood.

Accordingly, the district decided to provide hygiene-related information and practical assistance to small-scale restaurants in Cheonho-dong by having consumer food hygiene inspectors with expertise and field experience in food hygiene visit and provide customized consulting and education over five sessions. If business owners’ satisfaction is high, the target will be gradually expanded.

The consulting uses an ATP meter (a microbial rapid measurement device) to measure contamination levels of cooking utensils and workers’ hands according to the theme of each visit, and guides hygiene management and food poisoning prevention rules in an easy-to-understand manner by demonstrating food storage and cooking utensil cleaning methods on-site.

Additionally, educational hygiene kits (including eight items such as antibacterial cutting boards) that can help improve hygiene-vulnerable areas are produced and distributed, and hygiene management improvements are checked and guided at each session to create an environment where business owners can continuously apply the consulting content themselves.

A consumer food hygiene inspector who participated in the hygiene consulting said, “At first, business owners found it very unfamiliar, but after the consulting, seeing the kitchen environment improve hygienically gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

Lee Su-mi, Director of the Health and Hygiene Division, said, “We hope that this consulting will enhance business owners’ autonomous management capabilities regarding food hygiene,” and added, “We will continue to work together as managers and hygiene management supporters for a safe food environment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.