Sometime before the summer patio season gets into full swing, restaurant-goers will be able to check the credentials of their favourite eateries online.
Liberal health critic Dave Wilson yesterday introduced a bill that would mandate online disclosure of food inspection reports.
Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor said a system is already coming has been in development for the past year.
“We’re compiling the information, getting the database up,” he said.
Taylor said legislation for this kind of transparency will not be necessary, but Wilson said he would still table the bill. “I’d like it to be mandatory,” he said.
Taylor said the online system follows the lead of other provinces, but Nova Scotia will not be going with a colour-coded card system at the front of establishments like Ontario and New Brunswick.
“The thought was to work with the restaurants and make it known that they have to deal with their shortcomings and it was more voluntary,” he said.
The vice-president of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association for Atlantic Canada, said diners should have full access to an establishment’s health inspection.
“I think the customers of Nova Scotia should feel safe going in to restaurants and confident that we have one of the best food-safety systems in Canada and throughout the world,” Luc Erjavec said.
-robyn.young@metronews.ca
