Faced with limited resources, regulations and capacity, the government should identify and focus their monitoring efforts on high-risk areas first to improve food safety standards in the eatery services across the country, said the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

IFC is working with the government, with support from UK-based Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), to improve the food safety standards at different tourist-class eateries in Nepal and to train market monitors on inspection and monitoring techniques, it said.

At a press conference, Representatives from IFC and BRDO said that a risk-based approach to food safety allows inspectors to focus limited resources on high-priority high-risk areas.

"In spite of monitoring at different retailers, the inspection has to be focused on high-risk areas. Risk-based approach to monitoring helps to enhance and upgrade the quality of service," Sarah Smith, a director at BRDO, said.

"Due to limited regulations and standards for tourism services, tourist spending per day is low in Nepal," Val S Bagatsing, the IFC Resident Representative in Nepal, said, adding that elevated safety standards for food in eateries can be a starting point for government to improve standards across a range of services that impact tourism spending.

IFC said it also aims to support and develop new existing citizen empowerment approaches to food safety in Nepal