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50 food outlets are temporarily closed

After receiving several stark warnings from the Sharjah Municipality, 50 food establishments have been shut down temporarily for failing to follow food safety regulations.

Director of the Health and Environment Department at Sharjah Municipality, Dr Rasha Al Qasimi said the establishments were shut down after health and safety inspectors found that they were failing to implement standard public health and hygiene regulations, noting that all had failed to respond to previous warnings by the municipality.

All establishments have been given a grace period to rectify their situation and after approval from the municipality, they will be allowed to resume business. The shutdown was part of the inspections campaign during 2012 in which 59,843 food establishments had been inspected.

During these inspections, the municipality took 323 food samples from various restaurants, cafeterias and food outlets for testing and another 197 food samples were taken in response to consumers’ complaints.

The municipality also withdrew 150 water samples from all schools in the emirate and none were found to be unfit for human consumption.

She explained that the food control department at the Sharjah Municipality was making great efforts and working round the clock to protect public health in all the emirates. Inspectors are continuously carrying out inspections in all kinds of food establishments including restaurants, groceries, supermarkets, hypermarkets, cafeterias and cafes, bakeries, spice shops, meat and fish markets as well as fruits and vegetables markets.

The inspections also include vehicles that transport food.

She pointed out that the number of violators is very small due to the continued inspections and awareness campaigns being carried out by the municipality, saying that the majority of the establishments are following health and hygiene standards successfully.

In 2012, the food market in Sharjah expanded as the municipality issued licences and approvals to a large number of new food establishments.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com