UAE | Health

Name and shame campaign cleans up restaurants

Publishing the names of errant players in the food sector has improved food safety in the emirate, a senior official told Gulf News.

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:26 October 7, 2008
  • Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Publishing the names of errant players in the food sector has improved food safety in the emirate, a senior official told Gulf News.

"The defiant food outlets which used to ignore the warning from the authorities, have started to strictly adhere to the food safety norms now," said Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Manager of Communication and Information at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA). "We noticed such a change, after we started giving the closed outlets' names to the media regularly since April 2008."

Although the new policy did not make an impact in the beginning, the latest feedback suggest that outlets are acting fast on our warnings, he said.

"Because they do know that even if it is temporary closure for some hours, we will give their names to the media," said Al Reyaysa.

Cockroach found

He said a restaurant in the city was shut down recently because ADFCA inspectors found strange practices there.

A statement issued by ADFCA said Sada Al Ayyam restaurant on Airport Road used to resell the returned items from the served food and a cockroach was found in the food also. There was no proper ventilation in the kitchen and instead of metal shelves, wooden shelves were used to keep food, said the statement.

When contacted, a manager of Sada Al Ayyam restaurant told Gulf News that they are rearranging the restaurant as instructed by ADFCA. "We were told to install air conditioners and change some shelves," he said.

Is naming and shaming a restaurant a good idea? Or is it just bad publicity? Do you think the standard of foodhas deteriorated, improved or remained the same? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

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