Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) on Sunday conducted its largest inspection campaign in the emirate, encompassing 80 food establishments in Al Zayani Area in Abu Dhabi in a single day.
The campaign was undertaken by 30 inspectors from the Supply and Retail-Food Safety Department at ADFCA. It resulted in 25 warnings for supply establishments, 36 warnings and 4 fines for retailers. Only 15 establishments passed ADFCA's food conditions.
Some of the violations that ADFCA's inspectors spotted at the campaign included unlicensed food related activities as well as undesirable practices in the work area and personal hygiene.
Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, said, "Some of the issues the inspectors encountered in their campaign related to the lack of awareness among the food establishment workers about how to store food, how to practice hygiene. These are precisely the issues our tailor-made food safety treating programme focuses attention on."
Some of the violations detected are technical or related to the mandatory standards required by food establishments to follow. Cracks seen in walls and floors, broken grounds, lack of maintenance at food preparation areas, and showcasing food products directly on the floor rather than specially-placed shelves are among the violations.
Other breaches included improper storage of food items, such as putting food in the same shelves with detergents, storing in excess of the permitted levels in refrigerators, placing eggs out of the fridges or mixing vegetables and fruits with other foods in wooden or paper boxes.
Moreover, inspectors noticed that in some food establishments frozen chickens, meat, vegetables and fish were put together at the top of the fridges. The reuse of empty bottles was another issue.
"This year will experience more emirate-wide inspections that will tackle all food-related activities," Al Reyaysa said.
