Kitchen grease traps call comes under fire

A proposal to force all commercial kitchens to install grease traps has been branded draconian and unworkable by a leading hospitality consultant.

Thames Water Authority and Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate recently joined forces to call for all commercial kitchens to install grease traps to prevent sewer blockages.

The traps are fitted in the drainage pipes of pot-washing sinks and dishwashers, which separate grease from water. They can be internal, external, and above or below ground.

At a Westminster briefing session last month MPs met Thames Water's "flushers", who have the grim task of removing fat from London's sewers. The water authority said it spent more than £6m a year clearing 100,000 blockages, which can cause flooding and environmental damage. It said half of these blockages were caused by fat and grease from restaurants, pubs, and fast-food outlets.

But John Dyson, food and technical affairs adviser to the British Hospitality Association, said the proposal was unworkable, draconian, and would result in massive costs for the industry. He said: "There are more ways of dealing with grease than just a trap, which is not always possible to fit, or desirable. Grease traps have to be emptied in the kitchen and can be a hygiene hazard. Looking at alternative means such as enzyme treatments would seem sensible."

In April 2002, the Government introduced building regulations that require all new commercial kitchens to install grease traps before they open. But according to Stoate, this leaves the majority exempt.

"For this reason I would like to see the installation of grease traps made mandatory," he said.