UAE | Health
Three Dubai restaurants shut down after food inspections
Nearly 200 food inspections were carried out during the Eid Al Fitr holidays as part of a campaign on food safety in Dubai, said Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Ali, Head of Food Inspection Section in the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality.
- Staff Report
- Published: 11:30 September 30, 2009
Dubai: Nearly 200 food inspections were carried out during the Eid Al Fitr holidays as part of a campaign on food safety in Dubai, said Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Ali, Head of Food Inspection Section in the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality.
Of the total visits, three were with administrative orders to temporarily shut down restaurants due to lack of matching technical specifications and incompatibility with the requirements of hygiene standards approved by the department.
Al Ali said the inspections were conducted under the supervision and control of the Food Inspection Section over the establishments that were operating during the Eid holidays such as public kitchens and restaurants in popular commercial centres by assigning 13 inspectors on rotation in addition to the four health officers.
They conducted 37 reporting visits, 13 random visits, 13 follow-up visits and 130 routine visits in addition to the three stop-work orders.
The establishments ordered to stop work will be allowed to operate only after eliminating the causes of suspension and raising the technical and hygiene standards, in addition to getting the menu approved and providing appropriate training for workers as well as identifying a person from the establishment who is fluent in Arabic or English or both languages in order to continue to interact with the Food Inspection Section.
Al Ali added that the Section had also assigned five inspectors to work during the days before the Eid to inspect Dubai Fruits and Vegetables Market.
It was noted that most of the violations detected in the foodstuff establishments were the absence or the expiry of occupational health cards and these offences were considered among the highest irregularities.
The number of workers in food establishments is counted and when it is found that there are workers without cards or with expired cards, they were immediately stopped from working and a warning is issued to the establishment.
In the case of non-compliance, fines are imposed and the work at the establishment is halted. However, these incidents account for less than one per cent of the establishments operating in Dubai.
The inspectors observed that most violations related to hygiene. The violations that do not directly affect the safety of food produced include offences related to cleanliness of the floors, walls, ceilings as they have nothing to do with clean table surfaces to prepare food that will be in contact with the food.
There were also violations related to food storage such as poor storage and not storing food as per appropriate temperature levels as well as the lack of separation between the food and storing food directly on the ground without the obligation to put them on stands.
In addition, there were several violations of not wearing uniform during work. The rise in the number of violations related to wearing uniform is linked to the extent of the commitment of the employees in food establishments to hygiene and wearing gloves and hair covers.
Al Ali called upon the public to put forward their comments or queries on the technical and hygienic status of the foodstuff establishments or on the food that are circulated in the Emirate of Dubai by calling the municipality call entre's toll-free number 800900.
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