Dubai:The civic body has clear-cut guidelines on how snacks should be displayed outdoors during Ramadan, but despite the regulations, 80 per cent of food outlets have been issued warnings, according to Dubai Municipality
“In the first week of Ramadan, we found that only 20 per cent of restaurants and outlets properly displayed snacks outside their shops. Our inspectors monitored food outlets that typically sell samosas and luqaimat [dumplings] outside their shops before iftar,” said Sultan Al Taher, Head of Food Inspection at Dubai Municipality.
There are 40 food outlets authorised to display snacks outdoors — a 70 per cent decline from 160 last year.
Food items can be displayed and sold at least two hours before iftar, and goods are not allowed to be sold outside the shops’ premises after iftar. The food control department has published the rules in different languages, such as Arabic, English, Urdu and Malayalam, and had distributed them to all food outlets before Ramadan to ensure that all communities in the city were reached.
The instructions issued by the food control department have been issued to all restaurants, cafeterias, sweet shops, bakeries and catering companies operating across the emirate.
“Our teams carry out inspections on a daily basis, and require all food outlets to display their permits, to show the public that they are permitted to sell snacks outdoors,” said Al Taher.
All food items should be displayed in closed food cabinets that are suitable for food display and storage. Display cabinets must be located in a suitable place adequately protected from external contaminants.
“The violations can incur a fine from Dh500 to Dh2,000 but, during Ramadan, inspectors are carrying out an awareness campaign and have not fined any food outlet as we prefer to have a friendly approach and first make them aware of their offences,” he said.
He also explained that 90 per cent of iftar tents failed to meet the municipality’s standards when transporting and delivering food, and pointed out that the number of violations increased this year due to the large demand of customers visiting the tents to watch the World Cup during suhour.
