UAE shuts down 4 restaurants and cafés, confiscates 6 tonnes of foodstuffs deemed unsuitable

Mohammed Al Waseela, Staff Reporter

The Dibba Al Fujairah Municipality's inspection personnel shut down four restaurants and cafés in the city. Moreover, the relevant authorities confiscated approximately six tonnes of foodstuffs deemed unsuitable, which were seized during comprehensive inspection campaigns targeting restaurants, cafés and food establishments.

This was revealed by Eng. Hassan Salem Al Yamahi, Director of Dibba Al Fujairah Municipality.

Intensification of campaigns is a consequence of the municipality's concern for consumer health, he added, noting that the municipality has responded to 43 reports of violations by food establishments and conducted 1,285 inspection tours since the beginning of this year. During that period, it issued 508 warnings, recoded 143 health violations, while four restaurants and cafes were closed. In addition, six tones of foodstuffs were confiscated for failing to meet health requirements and adhere to general hygiene standards, he added.

The monitoring process revealed a number of violations, including the absence of health cards and certificates for workers, as well as a lack of adherence to the requirement for workers to wear uniforms, gloves and head covers. Furthermore, instances of expired and spoiled foodstuffs were observed, and establishments exhibited non-compliance with the requisite standards of kitchen and food preparation place cleanliness. The relevant sanctions were duly applied.

He further said that a package of control measures should be applied to prevent any future violations. These measures should be supervised by the health control department. The facility's failure to apply food safety requirements negatively affects public health. This affects food safety and consumer health. The municipality is ready to respond to food notifications and reports of food poisoning. Workers in food establishments must maintain personal hygiene and follow food handler guidelines. The public can report violations by contacting 092443399.