Food safety rate in 2016 touched 98% in Sharjah

Sharjah - The municipality also provided technical support to 3,899 food locations as part of the Sharjah food safety programme.

The Sharjah Municipality carried out inspection campaigns targeting 44,885 food outlets during 2016. Supermarkets, hypermarkets, groceries, cafes, cafeterias, restaurants, water companies, spice shops, fish outlets and school canteens were inspected.
Sheikha Rasha Al Qasimi, Director of Health and Environment Department of Sharjah Municipality, said the central food laboratory received 511 samples of food and 122 water samples from schools for testing.
The municipality also provided technical support to 3,899 food locations as part of the Sharjah food safety programme which ensured that the outlets implemented  international health standards.
She explained that the programme has been designed to ensure that workers at food establishments follow proper health practices continuously.
Sheikha Rasha pointed out that the food safety rate in 2016 was 98 per cent, attributing it to efforts of the municipality in controlling the food market with the cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and Climate changes (MECC).
Sheikha Shaza Al Mualla, Director of Health Department stressed that the municipality through its continuous monitoring penalised those outlets which failed to follow health regulations.
Last summer, five inspection campaigns targeting 610 supermarkets and groceries were conducted and it was found that most outlets were switching off the  electricity at night to save power. But this caused frozen food to get spoiled. During Ramadan, special inspection campaigns were conducted.
Sheikha Shaza pointed out that the food licence section issued 1,006 licences and approved 992 designs for construction of food outlets.
Certificate were given to 466 outlets for best health practices.
The municipality also inspected 46,788 imported food containers that arrived in Khalid Port, Sharjah Airport and Sharjah free zone.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com  

• Sharjah