In Kingston, Jamaica, a man faced legal consequences for operating a jerk restaurant without the necessary food handler’s permit. Rohan Gayle appeared before Judge Paula Blake Powell in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday, charged with selling jerked chicken in a jerk-themed establishment without proper authorization. Gayle admitted that he had applied for the permit on November 4th, but only after being caught violating the law on November 1st. Judge Blake Powell, while showing some leniency, emphasized the importance of food safety training, particularly in light of the recent Hurricane Melissa, which struck on October 28th and has raised significant health and safety concerns across the country. Gayle was fined $15,000, a fraction of the maximum penalty of $50,000, with the alternative of serving a 30-day jail sentence.
