Muscat: More than 80 tonnes of rotting fruits and vegetables were confiscated and destroyed during an aggressive inspection campaign mounted by Muscat Municipality during Ramadan and the Eid holiday, the civic body said in a statement.
The crackdown, involving special teams of food and public health inspectors, covered hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, catering establishments, and markets. In all, 142 cases were registered against establishments found in breach of the municipality’s food and public hygiene code.
According to the statement, more than 2,700 establishments were inspected during the roughly month-long drive that continued until the middle of August.
The surprise checks, carried out in coordination with other authorities, also covered companies importing foodstuff via the airport, seaport and land borders, it said. Also seized for disposal were 500 cartons of eggs found unfit for human consumption, while raids targeting shops in the Seeb district netted hundreds of kilos of spoiled vegetables, fruit and fish.
Also during this period, public health inspectors conducted unannounced checks on beauty salons and barber shops across the municipality’s jurisdiction covering the capital region. Large quantities of obsolete grooming implements were ordered seized, and warning notices issued to around 42 offending outlets, it said.
Of late, regulatory authorities in the Sultanate have been taking a tough line against traders and food establishments found in contravention of laws governing the safe storage, handling, distribution and sale of foodstuff.
