Riga Hospital Launches €25M Catering Tender Amid Hygiene Improvements

Current Provider Cleared to Continue Operations While New Contract is Sought

Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) has initiated a substantial €25 million tender for a new catering provider, as reported on July 29. This move comes as the hospital’s current caterer, CNC Ltd., has made significant strides in rectifying previous hygiene violations.

Hygiene Standards Met, Operations Allowed to Continue

A recent re-inspection by the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) found that CNC Ltd. has successfully addressed critical hygiene issues within the RAKUS catering unit. Previously, the PVD had identified deficiencies including inadequate cleaning and disinfection due to the premises’ layout and equipment, poor protection against contamination and pests, and insufficient refrigeration.

However, the PVD’s assessment now indicates that repairs to floors, walls, and ceiling coverings in key areas, along with process flow adjustments for refrigeration capacity, have brought the facility into compliance.

“Overall, the premises are protected against potential contamination risks at the time of the inspection. Our decision will therefore be that the company can continue to operate. Of course, the company still has some non-conformities that they have to correct, but they are not critical, and repairs are continuing there.”

—Raimonds Tukišs, Head of the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) Riga City Office

The caterer has a deadline of September 1 to resolve any remaining, non-critical non-conformities.

New Five-Year Contract on the Horizon

While RAKUS has not commented directly on the situation with CNC Ltd., it confirmed that the current contract expires at the end of the year. This has prompted the launch of a new public procurement process. The upcoming contract will span five years, significantly longer than the previous three-year agreement, with an estimated value of €25 million. This investment highlights the hospital’s commitment to ensuring high standards in its catering services. In comparison, healthcare spending on food services in the UK averaged approximately £3.5 billion annually between 2019 and 2023, underscoring the significant financial commitment in this sector (NHS Provider Trusts 2022).