Chile and Peru tighten restaurant health inspections before holidays

In Chile’s Maule region, the regional health minister Iskra Cox and labour minister Ervin Castillo carried out a joint inspection of seven fast‑food outlets and a cinema in a Talca shopping centre ahead of the winter school break. The establishments were found to meet sanitary standards, receiving only improvement recommendations and no formal sanctions. The officials highlighted the need to protect families visiting the venues and to ensure safe working conditions for staff, noting a few cases involving foreign workers.

In Arequipa, Peru, municipal sanitation officials identified numerous restaurants in the historic centre operating with expired health permits and lacking required food‑handling certificates. Out of roughly 480 monitored eateries, authorities gave owners five business days to rectify the shortcomings before penalties are imposed, with inspections also covering waste management and other compliance aspects.