Dubai Municipality on Wednesday said it will step up inspections leading to Eid al-Fitr.
The Municipality said the inspection campaign will particularly target food establishments such as eateries, bakeries, confectionery shops, sweets and chocolate factories, roasters, and public kitchens.
The authority noted that the inspection campaign is in line with the Municipality’s efforts to ensure the best practices are applied during the preparation, storage, display and transportation and to prevent contamination of products, especially cross-contamination.
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In an interview with Al Bayan, Sultan Ali Al-Taher, Director of Food Inspection at Dubai Municipality, said the authority’s Food Inspection Department has devised health requirements and protocols to ensure the safe handling of popular food during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Establishments are also ordered to conduct disinfection and sterilization operations in their premises.
He furthered that consumers and employees in food establishments must comply with precautionary measures set to curb COVID-19 such as wearing face masks and observing social distancing.
The official said the most common violation during Ramadan was the buildup of foodstuffs due to high demand.
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Al-Taher said that the preparation for the holy month of Ramadan began by training the Food Inspection Department staff to address violations that affect public health through field follow-up visits throughout the day.
He said that 982 inspections were carried out before and during the first days of Ramadan at the most popular food establishments in which 96 per cent of them were found compliant with the protocol.
Non-compliant establishments will be subject to fines and penalties in accordance with enforced rules and regulations. (RA)
