Laboratory
Laboratory Testing for the Distintivo H
Food, surfaces, ice and kitchen water for restaurants and hotels in Cancún and the Riviera Maya applying for or renewing their Distintivo H.
- Distintivo H:
- Mexico’s food hygiene recognition for food and beverage establishments
- NOM:
- Mexico’s official standards
- EMA:
- Mexico’s laboratory accreditation body
- EMA-accredited laboratories
- Hotels from Cancún to Tulum
- On-site sampling
- Report per sample
What we do, and what we don’t
What is the Distintivo H?
It is the recognition that Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism gives to fixed food and beverage establishments (restaurants, hotel kitchens, cafeterias and bars) that comply with hygienic food handling. To obtain it, staff are trained, the kitchen corrects whatever is needed and a verifier checks compliance.
Part of that review depends on water: the water used to prepare food must be potable, ice must be made with potable water, and the kitchen must be able to prove it. Laboratory testing provides that evidence and shows whether handwashing and the sanitizing of utensils are working.
For water and ice, see also NOM-201-SSA1-2015 and our guide to ice quality control (in Spanish).
Tests we arrange
The types of sample we already collect and send for testing for hotel kitchens in Cancún, Cozumel and Tulum
Cooked and hot food
Dishes from the hot line and the buffet, under NOM-093-SSA1-1994.
Cold food
Salads, cold cuts, desserts and preparations that are not cooked again.
Hands (live surfaces)
Hand swabs of kitchen staff to check handwashing and sanitizing.
Equipment surfaces (inert surfaces)
Cutting boards, knives, work tables and utensils after cleaning.
Ice
Ice from machines and bars, under NOM-201-SSA1-2015 for water and ice for human consumption.
Kitchen water
Bacteriological testing of the water at the sinks and of the cistern that supplies the kitchen.
Ask your consultant for the list of samples required and we will quote it in full. Results in 3–5 days.
How we work
From sampling in your kitchen to the report for your file
1. Sampling in the kitchen
An engineer takes food, surface, ice and water samples at the points you indicate.
2. EMA-accredited laboratory
Bacteriological testing of each sample under the standard that applies to it.
3. Report per sample
Results by email with the point, the date and the limit in the standard, ready for your file.
4. Follow-up
If a sample is outside the limits, it is retested after the correction so the record is complete.
Kitchen testing is combined with Legionella and pool (NOM-245) testing in the monthly water treatment program.
Testing for the Distintivo H: frequently asked questions
Common questions from food and beverage managers
Does Grupo Eytra grant the Distintivo H?
No. The Distintivo H is granted by SECTUR, Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, to establishments that comply with hygienic food handling, after the training and verification the program requires. Grupo Eytra is not a consultant or verifier for the program: we arrange the laboratory testing of food, surfaces, water and ice, in EMA-accredited laboratories, that the establishment uses as evidence.
Which tests do I need for the Distintivo H?
It depends on what your consultant or verifier asks for. The most common in hotel and restaurant kitchens are bacteriological testing of food (cooked and cold), live and inert surfaces, ice and the water used to prepare food. Ask your consultant for the list of samples and we will quote it.
Which standard is used to test food and surfaces?
Our reports reference NOM-093-SSA1-1994 for food and surfaces, and NOM-201-SSA1-2015 for ice. If your consultant asks for another reference, confirm it with us before sampling.
How often should the tests be done?
We do not replace your consultant’s guidance. At the hotels we serve, there are monthly ice and water programs, and food testing every month or every two months, under a fixed-price monthly contract.
Where do you take the samples?
In the establishment’s kitchen, in Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya as far as Tulum, and Cozumel. An engineer takes them and delivers them to the laboratory the same day.
What happens if a sample is outside the limits?
We review the point with the kitchen manager: handwashing, sanitizing of utensils, holding temperature, the ice machine filter or the chlorine in the water. After the correction, we repeat the test so the record is complete.
Does your kitchen have its Distintivo H testing in order?
Sampling in Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel, with a report per sample