Dubai Municipality intensifies monitoring of food establishments in preparation for Eid Al Adha … reports Asian Lite News.
The Food Inspection Section in the Food Safety Department of Dubai Municipality has completed all necessary preparations to intensify the visits and inspections in the emirate’s foodstuff establishments ahead of Eid Al Adha.
The Municipality teams will visit the foodstuff companies that produce traditional sweets, Arabic sweets, chocolates and bakery products such as cakes and various biscuits as they are in demand during Eid. The specialized inspection teams will ensure the safety of food most traded before and during Eid Al Adha.
The inspections are part of Municipality’s preparations for the Eid Al Adha 2018 to protect the health of consumers by ensuring the safety of food.
Sultan Al Tahir, Director of Food Inspection Section, said that the inspection teams have been given instructions to focus on food establishments, especially sweet shops, toasters, bakeries, sweets and chocolate factories, as well as traditional kitchens.
“Our inspectors will make sure that these establishments adhere to the best practices during the preparation, storage, supply and transport of the foodstuff, as these best practices can prevent contamination of the products, especially the process of cross-contamination with workers and equipment,” he said.
Al Tahir stressed that the employees of food establishments need to adhere to the highest standards of personal hygiene while handling food.
He explained that preparations for Eid Al Adha included several focuses such as targeted food establishments, where the public and visitors are increasingly attracted to before and during the Eid period; focusing on all practices, including preparation, manufacturing and maintaining the right temperature, as well as protecting food from external pollutants.
“In addition, we will be ensuring that the food establishments are adhering to the requirements of transporting, storing, preparing and displaying products and foodstuffs by conducting the inspection tours for this purpose in an organized way, as well as by focusing on hygiene awareness and education for employees of various food establishments. We will also ensure that they implement the best hygiene practices, keep the place clean, wear gloves and hairnets, and instruct health supervisors in food establishments to oversee all food safety operations,” said Al Tahir.
He said that the Food Inspection Section has issued a circular to all the butcheries operating in the Emirate to not to slaughter sacrificial animals for the public as it should only be carried out by Dubai Municipality’s abattoirs and all butcheries have been instructed to abide by the circular issued in this regard. “Immediately after the Eid prayer, our inspection teams will start a comprehensive inspection campaign on all butcheries in the Emirate of Dubai to ensure the commitment not to perform the slaughter of sacrifices there,” added Al Tahir.
He said that preparations for Eid Al Adha started by qualifying and preparing the Food Inspection Section staff to address violations affecting public health. “They will do follow-up field visits to food establishments by dividing them in working groups during the Eid holidays at the sites and venues of events and activities and in shopping malls throughout the day to ensure the safety of visitors to these sites, which are more popular during the Eid holidays,” said Al Tahir.
“The official working hours for all employees of the Section have been fixed and distributed at different periods in accordance with the working hours of the various food establishments in the shopping malls and outside the shopping centers. The names of the alternate employees have also been fixed during Eid Al Adha to receive 24-hour public communications through the Dubai Municipality Call Center,” he said.
Al Tahir said that everyone has to shoulder their responsibilities towards the safety of foods traded in accordance with the principle of “food safety, a common responsibility.”
He said each one has a role in maintaining food safety, the regulatory bodies, the food establishments and consumers.
Al Tahir stressed on the need to communicate with Dubai Municipality on the toll-free number 800900, which can be called 24 hours a day, in the case of any complaints or reports on the food establishments and also to inquire about the various health requirements for food safety.