Restaurant addresses hygiene deficiencies after penalty order

Several food inspections at a restaurant in Baar have revealed that the guideline values for bacteria and germs have been exceeded. What exactly does this mean?
 

Between 2021 and 2025, four out of eight inspections conducted by the Zug food inspection authorities (Zuger Lebensmittelkontrolle) at a restaurant in Baar revealed that certain tolerance levels for bacteria and germs had been "partially significantly" exceeded. Furthermore, "various deficiencies related to food hygiene" were identified.

The Zug Public Prosecutor's Office (Staatsanwaltschaft ) has brought these charges against a well-known, established restaurant in Baar – its owner must now pay a fine of CHF 1,200 for violating the food safety law. An additional CHF 300 in police costs must also be paid.

Mostly no health risk
Giovanna Spielmann-Prada is a lecturer in food microbiology and hygiene at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). She explains: "The term 'tolerance value' is no longer used in current legislation. The term "guideline value" is now used”. This is also shown in a document from the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen) from 2021, although this change doesn't seem to have registered with the Zug Public Prosecutor's Office yet - they still refer to the "tolerance value." in their penalty order.

The Guideline Value indicates whether a business adheres to recognised hygiene rules and work procedures. This is different from the Food Safety Criteria, which directly determine whether a food product is considered hazardous to health, says Giovanna Spielmann-Prada.

The guideline values for Enterobacteriaceae and for aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMK) were exceeded in the Baar restaurant,. According to the expert, these values "primarily point to a quality problem and deficiencies in process hygiene, not necessarily to an immediate health risk." Without precise laboratory results, however, a "significant exceedance" is difficult to define scientifically.

This is also confirmed by a parallel inquiry to ETH Zurich. For a "reliable assessment," they would need information such as precise measurements, the type of samples, and the history of the restaurant. The Zug law enforcement authorities and food safety inspectors are not releasing this information, however, citing legal reasons.

Poor hygiene is unacceptable
The causes for the exceeding of guideline values are diverse: deficiencies in the cold chain or insufficient heating during cooking can lead to this, for example. Cross-contamination, i.e., the transfer of germs from raw to already cooked food, can also be a cause.

According to the penalty order, the guideline values for bacteria and germs were exceeded at the Baar restaurant  
Symbolic photo: Dlovan Shaheri
 

In response to an enquiry, Matthias Fricker, Zug's cantonal chemist and head of food safety, writes that the exceeded values are "purely a quality problem." In the event of a health risk, other food control mechanisms would be activated to protect consumers. While the health risk is low in most of these cases, "a lack of hygiene is unacceptable."

According to last year's "Zug in Figures" brochure, six Zug businesses were rated as unsatisfactory during inspections in 2023. This number rose to ten in 2024. If food inspections at the same establishment repeatedly reveal exceeded guideline values, the individual case must be examined, he continued. The assessment depends, among other things, on the business category, the risk, and the nature of the deficiencies. In cases of persistent quality problems, the frequency of inspections is increased, and repeated criminal charges are possible. In the event of a health risk, food safety authorities can order the immediate closure or partial closure of the business.

Historic preservation delayed renovation work
The Baar restaurant did everything possible to prevent this from happening. Even before the investigations, the restaurant had been planning to renovate the kitchen, as the operator stated in response to an enquiry. But construction delays occurred because the building is a listed historical monument. The biggest challenge was modernising the ventilation system without altering the exterior of the building.

The kitchen has now been completely renovated for "a high six-figure sum," and "all processes have been structurally optimised." For example, all employees now have their own individual sinks.

The operator also emphasised that the deviation from the guidelines "never posed a health risk to guests." A follow-up inspection in March of this year shows that the guideline values were met in the samples tested, and that the identified hygiene deficiencies have been rectified. The Zuger Zeitung newspaper has a copy of the corresponding letter from the Zug food inspection authority (Lebensmittelkontrolle). The restaurant is therefore ready for the upcoming summer season.