Department of Environmental Health (DEH)

Food Hygiene & Safety

The food industry is an important part of the economy of the Cayman Islands and it plays a significant role in the tourism product of this country. Residents and visitors demand high standards of hygiene from the food establishments they visit, and the safety of the food they eat is an important prerequisite.

Food businesses have a duty of care to ensure that the foods they produce are safe to eat.

The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) employs Environmental Health Officers in the Food Safety team whose task it is to ensure that all food businesses operate in a safe and hygienic way.

In order to ensure that these duties are met the Food Safety team undertakes the following activities:-

• Condemnation of foods that do not meet food safety requirements.
• Food premises inspections.
• Food hygiene training.
• Inspection of imported foods.
• Inspection of locally slaughtered animals for public consumption.
• Investigation of cases of food borne illness.
• Sampling of food and water.
• The recall/withdrawal of unsafe food products.
• The investigation of consumer complaints concerning food and/or food premises.

The DEH is committed to ensuring that the foods that are consumed in the Cayman Islands are safe and wholesome to eat.

For further information about food safety, please contact DEH at (345) 949-6696.

Food safetyWikipedia: Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. →