Food hygiene should form a major part of catering personnel training, according to Dr Noel Cullen, of the American Culinary Federation. He was speaking at a Cuisine 2000 workshop on "Catering in the New Millennium" at the close of the Limerick Good Food Festival on Saturday.
Dr Cullen said there was a distinction between craft and management skills in catering which was not always recognised.
Mr Gerry Murphy, culinary director of the New York International Hotel, said Irish staff should be trained at home and only go abroad for wider experience.
A British team of chefs won the international banquet competition and the Irish team came second.
Mr Stephen Scuffell, a London chef, won the fish cookery competition, with Mr Cathal Kavanagh (Clarence Hotel, Dublin) and Mr Brian Torsney (Lavazza Le Bistro, Limerick) runners-up.