Kitchen temperatures exceed 30 degrees, and the pressure of the tourist season leads to lapses in food storage, warns the head of the Food Department at the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Public Health Institute.
During the summer months, approximately 25 percent of food samples taken in catering establishments in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County area have been assessed as microbiologically unsatisfactory. This is the data shared by Dr. Ivanka Ljevaković Musladin, head of the Food Department at the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Public Health Institute, in an interview with Soundset Ragusa.
The combination of high summer temperatures and the hectic pace of kitchen work creates fertile ground for bacterial growth. "Summer heat favors the growth and multiplication of bacteria in food, so it is expected that we record poorer microbiological quality of food in catering establishments precisely during this period. The share of microbiologically unsatisfactory samples is around 25 percent, while during the winter months it is somewhat lower," said Ljevaković Musladin.
The problem is not only the external heat. Ljevaković Musladin explains that the pressure to serve dishes as quickly as possible leads to key oversights. "Guests expect to receive their food as soon as possible, which is why kitchens operate under great time pressure. It is precisely then that lapses in proper food storage often occur, with food left at room temperature for too long, and in summer, kitchen temperatures often exceed 30 degrees, which favors bacterial growth," she emphasized.
The expert recommendation is clear: food that will not be served immediately must either be kept at a temperature above 75 degrees Celsius or cooled down as quickly as possible and stored in the refrigerator. Prolonged standing at room temperature significantly increases the risk of microorganism multiplication.
The Public Health Institute regularly conducts inspections in all establishments that handle food, including restaurants, cafés, shops, and distributors. In microbiologically unsatisfactory samples, so-called indicator microorganisms are most often detected. They do not in themselves mean that the food is dangerous to health, but they point to lapses in hygienic handling and an increased risk of the presence of pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella.
"The purpose of microbiological analyses is not to punish caterers, but to detect hygiene lapses in a timely manner so they can correct them and offer their guests safe food," emphasized Ljevaković Musladin.
Although the legal minimum for food inspections is set at twice a year, the Institute's experience shows that a growing number of caterers are voluntarily ordering analyses every three months. It is precisely those establishments that regularly invest in food safety and conduct more frequent inspections that record the fewest hygiene problems, as concluded from the experiences of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Public Health Institute.
