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12 Ajman Food Outlets Shut

AJMAN — Ajman Municipality recently shut down 12 food product outlets and warned some others for failing to follow health procedures, regulations and conditions prescribed by the government. The municipality declined to name the outlets that were been shut down.

Speaking to Khaleej times, Khaled Al Hosani, Head of the Health and Environment Department at Ajman Municipality said the action was taken after Health Section officials inspected food outlets, storage, importers, and manufacturers. The closed outlets lacked proper storage facilities as well as cooling and freezing systems. They had also been found to have not heeded the warnings given in the recent past.

The outlets that were issued warnings have been given a grace period to make amends, he said.

Raids will continue on cafeterias, restaurants, traditional kitchens, fast-food outlets and drinking water companies. A check is also being kept on vehicles that transport water and food items from outside the emirate, Al Houseni added. “The municipality is concerned about food safety, which is one of its top priorities, as the sale and production of stale or spoilt food could pose serious threats to the health of the public and cost consumers their lives. Consumers always expect high level of quality in food products but some food shops do not abide by the municipality’s regulations of storage, particularly during summer,” he said.

He added that the municipality is taking specific measures to ensure the quality of food products. All imported food containers at Ajman port are subjected to inspections by the municipality’s inspectors who are authorised to issue health certificates or No Objection Letters.

“The municipality is also playing a great role in monitoring the food market to prevent the malpractices and counterfeiting of trade marks and ensuring the ingredients of the food products are fit for consumption,” he said.

Lab tests conducted on 19,450 samples of food products taken from establishments during this year proved the civic body’s commitment to maintaining standards. As many as 6,500 warnings were also issued. He said the number of violations in this area has dropped this year to about 1,000 from 2500 violations recorded in 2008.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

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