Food products found unfit for consumption

AJMAN — The health section inspection campaign targetting food outlets and manufacturers has proved effective with around 13 samples of food products being found unfit for human consumption after analysis by Ajman Central Lab yesterday.

Afkar Ali Ahmed

Published: Thu 25 Aug 2005, 10:05 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:16 PM

One of the causes of the spoilage and stale food products has been traced to the practice of licensed food outlets not keeping the meat stock at the required temperatures as they have been trying to save on electricity.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Awad Sucrab of the Lab said that these food products, which include cheese, milk, ice cream, water, juices and canned meat were all withdrawn from the market by inspector of the municipality which would take serious action against those who tried to sell them to the public.

“The laboratory in coordination with health section inspectors tested 103 samples of various type of food products to ensure that food markets are biding by the health regulation set by the civic body,” he added.

Dr Mohammed Attia, Deputy Head of the Health Section, said that the food inspection campaign has been intensified because the malpractice of selling rotten food products, which can seriously affect public health, is common at the local market in Ajman.

He explained that in Ajman 100 per cent of the licensed food outlets have refrigerators, but they don't keep the meat in high cool temperature which can prevent the growing of bacteria that causes infection after six to eight hours in this hot and humid condition, because they try to save on electricity.

He said since the beginning of this year, food inspectors of the municipality confiscated more than 401 kilograms of stale and spoiled red meat and 912 kilogram of liver from butcheries and meat shops during the campaign.

“Food inspectors of the municipality are putting in great effort to regularly monitor market to ensure the quality of food,” he stressed.

He noted that the consumers always expect high level of quality in food products but some of the food shops do not abide by the municipality's regulations of storage. Their practice of not keeping the food such as meat frozen and hanging them out for a long time, eventually spoils it.

There are certain measures, which are being undertaken by the Municipality to assure a fresher, higher quality of food product for the consumer in Ajman. The municipality, he said, is assured that the food products now available in the market are safe having passed through all quarantine tests, and is fit for human consumption.

All imported food containers at Ajman port are subjected to inspections by the municipality's qualified inspectors who are authorised to issue health certificates or no-objection letters. These certificates should be issued with respect to the condition of the goods. All goods that meet with specifications, descriptions and conditions set by the section to ensure food safety, are eligible to receive health certificates and no objection letters for clearance process.

“The containers that are found violating the food specifications would be sent back to their country of origin where they were manufactured,” he added

The municipality is playing a great role in monitoring the food market to prevent the counterfeiting of trademarks, besides ensuring that the ingredients of the products are fit for consumption.