Dubai: Dubai Municipality has introduced new mandatory guidelines for shawarma-specialised food establishments, it was announced on Wednesday.
The guidelines have been distributed to 472 food establishments so far since the beginning of May.
Commenting on the move, Sultan Taher, Head of Food Inspection Section in Food Control Department in Dubai Municipality, said, “The new guidelines aim to boost the performance of food establishments through clarifying the health requirements concerning the tools used in the preparation and sale of Shawarma”.
The move comes in response to a growing number of complains against shawarma restaurants in Dubai. Food inspectors have reported that space designated for the preparation of shawarma in some restaurants is very little and because the restaurants cook up huge quantities in those small spaces, they often end up committing offences, Taher added. He pointed out that some restaurants prepare Shawarma in unhealthy conditions, and shawarma ingredients including meats, vegetables and sauces need special preservation methods, but some eateries do not follow those guidelines, resulting in the multiplication of bacteria.
The guidelines involve requirements for the restaurants; shawarma tools, preservation methods, preparation process and an inspection checklist for municipality inspectors.
