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DUBAI / WAM
Dubai Municipality closed down 53 food establishments during the first quarter of this year for violating Covid-19 protocols.
Inspection campaigns are on during Ramadan to ensure that food establishments meet the requirements for transporting, storing, preparing and displaying food products and materials.
Sultan Al Taher, Head of Food Inspection Section in the municipality said that the officials conducted 13,775 inspections to food establishments during the first quarter of 2021, to ensure compliance with the precautionary measures for Covid-19 and 12,438 of them were complying with the food safety requirements.
He said that while 53 food outlets were closed during the first quarter, 1,133 other establishments were issued warnings. The most prominent violations that were detected were failure to adhere to social distancing, and failure to wear personal safety equipment such as masks and gloves during food preparation, and not using approved sterilisation and disinfection materials.
“During their visits, the municipality inspectors check the daily follow-up records of workers’ hygiene, the sterilisation and disinfection operations, in addition to ensuring that food safety requirements are applied while receiving food items, food preparation, storage, display at healthy temperatures, and the application of hygiene and sterilisation procedures, to prevent cross-contamination as well as pest control operations,” Al Taher added.
He said that the municipality’s inspection teams carry out several routine inspection visits, based on the reports received from consumers, and also fine the violators.