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Peru: Restaurants in Lima Closed Down in Surprise Sanitary Inspections

(LIP-ir) -- In an effort to protect consumers and verify that restaurant owners are making sure their establishments are sanitary, the Municipality of Jesus Maria, a district in the province of Lima, set out on a series of inspections to examine restaurants in the lower-middle to upper-middle class district.

Surprise inspections, which were supervised by the municipality's sanitary department and administrative police, were performed in restaurants throughout the entire district.

In some cases, results were reported to be astonishing. One of the restaurants inspected and then shutdown was a 'Chifa', a restaurant that serves a fusion of Peruvian/Chinese food.

'Chifa Hermanos', located on the 13th block of General Garzón Avenue, was one of the first places to be closed down by municipal police.

Perishable food products were found in unfit conditions, refrigerators and freezers were not working and products used for food preparation were found on the floor and next to trash cans.

The restaurant was immediately closed down. Despite obvious evidence, Liang Wei Tao, the owner of the restaurant, denied the charges.

Another restaurant that was shutdown during surprise inspections was 'Tradiciones Arequipeñas', located on the 14th block of General Garzón Avenue.

The presence of insects as well as the inadequate installation of electric wiring were some of the reasons why the restaurant was forced to stop serving the public.

It was reported that the owners did not object.

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# Disgusted says :
18 January, 2008 [ 14:47 ]

This article confirms my suspicions. You can believe that I will NEVER eat at any restaurant in Lima. I could be starving to death and I would still  purchase fresh food and cook for myself. No insects and food stored in trash cans for me ... Thank you.

# Al says :
18 January, 2008 [ 16:44 ]

We have the same problems here in the good ol' USofA. I'm glad the inspections are taking place in Lima.  If anything it will act as a strong message to other restaurants to shape up. 
Disgusted,
I'm assuming you never eat at any restaurant which doesn't charge $50+ a plate which you MAY not have these problems.
Unsanitary practices or mistakes like hair in food happen everywhere. I have had hair in my food at least 3 times that i can remember.   

# jorge mm says :
18 January, 2008 [ 18:24 ]

Keep an eye on those Chinese restaurants (Chifas) they are the worst. I ordered a delivery from a San Miguel's Chifa and I had to trash everything as it was disgusting and off... I rung the owner to complaint and this time they spoke in chinesse and he couldn't "understand" anything... Don't trust those chifas even if they look clean and fancy from outside.... bloody chifas!!

# Al says :
18 January, 2008 [ 18:51 ]

Seem's like Chineese restaurants get a bad rep all over the world.  :)

# alaskan_sol says :
18 January, 2008 [ 19:54 ]

It shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone that some, or many, if not most restaurants in Peru don't meet international sanitation standards. I still eat in them though, Ive learned to ignore it and stick with cooked foods when I'm in remote or unfamiliar areas. I could use the extra protein But what concerns me about this article is the corruption and abuse of power. I have first hand experience with extortion/payoffs to the health department from restaurants in Los Angeles. I think its a safe bet it'll happen here as well. But its certainly a step in the right direction...

# Splaktar says :
18 January, 2008 [ 23:54 ]

Good to see at least one district enforcing the laws.  Hopefully all districts of Lima will start doing this more often.

# Randy Civello says :
19 January, 2008 [ 03:17 ]

If Lima is going to continue to attract tourism and become the food mecca of the world which it has the potential to be, it must enforce these minimum standards.

# Jorge MM says :
19 January, 2008 [ 04:51 ]

I think the new wave of Chinese immigrants to Peru don't understand about cleanness, hygiene or tradition, they are more worry about making money and more money even if they make their customers sick.  They don't respect labour laws (some big chifas even keep the tips for employees for theirself, I know this because I asked the waitress if she got my tip and she said NO).  They don't respect sanitation laws neither Local District's rules. The Chinese community in Peru should create a system or group to supervise minimum standards for those Chifas, the reputation of the Peruvian Chifas and Restaurants should be first and I really hope those inspectors do their job and punish those chifas and other traditional restaurants... sorry but I got nothing agaist my chinesse friends.

# The Tomaine Kid says :
19 January, 2008 [ 09:25 ]

They all studied at Sam & Ella's Culinary School.

# Carl says :
19 January, 2008 [ 14:04 ]

Those chinese food are made from immigrants just arrived from China. But those ones owned by chinese born in Peru or tusan  are ok. There are some really good and clean in Chinatown Lima, and Miraflores.

# David says :
19 January, 2008 [ 15:15 ]

It has been my experience that many Chinese restaurants are dirty by western standards.
However there is a quick fix. The municipality must keep up with a spot inspections, and not abuse the power they are given.

Keep closing people down and they will learn quick how to keep a place clean. As mentioned above, it does not really matter how expensive a place is although it helps in many cases. There are places in NYC that charge well over $100. per person and get shut down regularly.

Find I place you that works for you and stick with them. A trick I learned a long time ago was if you visit a restaurant and the food is good, ask to go into the kitchen so you can personally thank the chef.

While your there take a good look around!

# alaskan_sol says :
19 January, 2008 [ 18:28 ]

LOL ... Never heard of doing that David,"...thanking the chef." Its a good idea, dont think I have the guts to do it however.

# Jorge MM says :
19 January, 2008 [ 19:01 ]

This is for you David! ...  I wonder if these restaurants are still selling food to the public...  (Peru) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5U0VAIvvTI&feature=related  and  (NYC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su0U37w2tws&feature=related …. Buen provecho!

# David says :
19 January, 2008 [ 19:13 ]

Jorge MM and A sol,

Thanking the chef can be great fun and most enjoyable. I work for a Railroad that stops along 6th.ave., just under the KFC in question. We watch the rats (on camera) come up through the station at night. It's like clock work, just about 11:15 or so. and then back down all night long with the goods.

Hmmm, can we find a market for rat meat somewhere in an undeveloped country. Low overhead and good clean protein. It worked for the GI's during the war, why not?

You just have to get past the word RAT!

# Jorge MM says :
19 January, 2008 [ 19:33 ]

I have watched those rats from NYC and the ones from Peru. I can say that American rats are almost double the size of their Peruvian counterparts, as you say they are good source of protein for the undeveloped world, we just chop their tail off and then we can sell them as Peruvian cuys or guineapigs… yuuummm! 

# David says :
19 January, 2008 [ 20:05 ]

So what are the discloser laws like in Peru?

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