Ras Al Khaimah butcher shop shut down for selling rotten meat

Ras Al Khaimah: The municipality authorities yesterday shut down a butcher shop and fined its owner for selling rotten meat to its customers.

Huge quantities of meat were seized and sent to the municipal laboratory which confirmed that it was not fit for human consumption, said Adel Ali Al Suwaidi, head of the environmental and public heath department at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality.

"The staff knew the meat was rotten as it had a nasty smell. They should not have sold it as people will surely fall ill after eating it. They disregarded health of the customers because of the money they make selling the meat," he said.

The municipal official said besides shutting down the butchery a heavy fine was also imposed on the owner.

The municipality has also been receiving several complaints from the public against butcheries, which people claim sell them frozen meat as fresh meat.

Municipal inspectors investigated the complaint to find it was genuine and issued an immediate order banning freezers at butcheries and only allowing coolers.

Al Suwaidi said that violating butcheries will be shut down, fined and officially warned according to the type of violation they commit.

He said that the authorities will leave no room for anybody to endanger public health and cause harm to customers, and that the butcher shops will be carefully monitored.

Al Suwaidi said that the municipality is currently conducting a large scale campaign to check the cooling systems and air conditioners of groceries and supermarkets to ensure the safety of foodstuffs, including dairy products, fruit and vegetables during the hot and humid summer.