Dubai: Dubai Municipality’s food inspection team will work round the clock during the holidays and Eid Al Fitr, said Sultan Ali Al Taher, Head of the Food Inspection Section Food Control Department.
In line with the initiative ‘Dubai the City that Never Sleeps’, launched for the sole purpose of providing entertainment for both tourists and residents, Al Taher added that the food control management will also remain awake.
He said that the inspection department will provide an inspector at all times in malls across Dubai to receive complaints regarding food outlets’ carelessness or failure to comply with health and safety regulations set by the municipality. Al Taher explained that the inspection team is also available 24 hours a day to be notified in the case of food poisoning.
He clarified that some restaurants, creameries, sweet shops and candy stores have a much larger turnout than others, witnessing a rush during the holidays, especially during Eid. Leading up to Eid Al Fitr, the inspection team is focusing on candy shops to guarantee that preventive methods are carried out to avoid contamination.
Shops offering Arabic sweets specifically will be focused on since they will be the most visited by people looking to exchange delicacies with loved ones during the festive season.
Al Taher added that inspectors will analyse employees’ personal hygiene to ensure the prevention of cross-contamination among staff which can be passed on to customers through the food offered. He said that employees must respect and abide by the hygiene standards for the safety of their surroundings.
Al Taher said that malls and centres are widely visited during the Eid holiday, therefore, food outlets must preserve all consumable goods in appropriate temperatures to prevent them from spoiling. Food outlets should follow preservation measures by keeping cold foods refrigerated at 5 degrees Celsius or less and hot foods kept at 65 degrees Celsius or more.
He added that they should also abide by the guidelines set by the municipality when transporting, storing, cooking and selling consumable goods to the public.
Al Taher said Dubai Municipality will also educate employees in food shops to guarantee that health guidelines are met.
The head of the inspection department also clarified that inspections will be carried out two days before Eid in the fruit and vegetable market located in Al Warsan to make sure all health requirements are met.
The public can file complaints or report cases of food poisoning by calling the municipality’s hotline which is available 24 hours daily.
