24 food outlets raided for selling expired products

Ras Al Khaimah - Some workers did not hold the mandatory health cards and some others failed to wear the due uniform

The Ras Al Khaimah Municipality raided 24 food outlets here for being involved in selling products unfit for human consumption.
The said outlets were spotted during a number of inspection campaigns during the seven-day Eid Al Adha holiday, according to a senior official.
Shaimaa Al Tunaiji, Manager of the Public Health Department, RAK Municipality, said her staff inspectors inspected 91 institutions.
Some of the institutions were fined while others were issued warning letters, and forced to sign undertakings never to repeat the same violations again, she added.
"The institutions nabbed proved to have been selling expired food products and rotten desserts whereas the staffers of some shops failed to meet the due cleanliness."
Some workers did not hold the mandatory health cards and some others failed to wear the due uniform, she said.
"The 91 institutions inspected included 10 café shops, five dye houses, 24 ladies' saloons, and 42 gents' hairdressers."
The barbershops were fined for mainly spreading the towels used on the public road, Al Tunaiji added.
"This violation poses a grave risk to customers' health for being unclean as due, and helps spread contagious diseases."
The female workers at some hairdressers did not hold the necessary health cards, she said.
"These cards are so inevitable to prove that they are free from contagious diseases and cannot carry some to others."
A resident was also nabbed while slaughtering a sacrificed animal off the official abattoir as per rules and regulations, Al Tunaiji said.
"All Adahi must be slaughtered at the official abattoirs only."
Warning, she said the RAK Municipality deals with no tolerance with such risky health violations, and take stringent measures and hefty fines against erring institutions.
"Foodstuff must be offered for sale in clean and covered areas to protect them against dust, flies, birds, and rodents. The type of food on display also counts, as these foods must be displayed in proper temperature conditions."
Staff employees at these places must also observe personal cleanliness, and wear head covers, and gloves when touching food or serving them to customers, Al Tunaiji said.
She said her department has also launched inspected so many kitchens, restaurants, hotels, and factories under the free zones and RAK investment authority.
"A number of violations have been detected there, including lack of cleanliness, ignoring uniform, storing, packing and wrapping foodstuff in an improper way, and offering them for sale in unfit conditions."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE