Food outlets get swift warnings, fines for violations

Dozens of food outlets in Dubai have been fined after the civic body received 43 food safety complaints during the Eid Al Adha holiday.

The Food Inspections Section at the Food Control Department of the Dubai Municipality received a total 43 food related notifications through DM’s hotline 800900 during last week’s three-day break, the Head of section Sultan Ali Al Taher said in a Press statement on Tuesday.

As many as 21 complaints were related to physical contamination like finding hair, iron or other objects in food items; eight cases were about contaminated or spoiled food; seven complaints were related to personal hygiene such as lack of gloves and headgear; another seven notifications related to insects inside the premises of food outlets; six on cleanliness of institutions in general; and one call related to the poor quality of food served.

“The civic body has taken immediate action to correct establishments and fined them according to the seriousness of the incidents,” Taher said.

The municipality had assigned a special team to inspect the food establishments and restaurants in commercial centres, Global Village, parks and other public places in the emirate working round-the-clock, he said.

Meanwhile, the Waste Management Department also deployed special teams and intensified the routine activities to manage and collect waste from various parts of Dubai.

Director of the department Abdul Majeed Saifaie said about 15,221 tonnes of general waste was collected from various parts of Dubai and safely transported to waste disposal areas during the Eid days.

The department also cleaned the highway roads as well as the Dubai Creek during Eid, which resulted in collecting 138,384 tonnes of rubbish from roads, and 10,115 tonnes from the Creek, including embankments and waters.

news@khaleejtimes.com