Abu Dhabi restaurant shut down after insects found in kitchen

Desi Pak Punjab Restaurant in Mussaffah refused to rectify issues despite repeated warnings, say inspectors

Desi Pak Punjab Restaurant in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, has been ordered to close over health and safety breaches. Photo: Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority

A restaurant in Abu Dhabi has been ordered to close after insects were found in its food preparation area.

Inspectors from Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority said Desi Pak Punjab Restaurant in Mussaffah ignored food safety protocols and proved a “significant risk to public health”.

According to their safety report, the cooking area was found to be unclean, badly ventilated and unhygienic, with the “presence of insects”.

The restaurant will remain closed until all the issues are rectified, the authority added.

The closure comes less than two weeks after a cafeteria was shut down by the authority over the presence of insects in the food preparation area.

Since the beginning of the year, it has ordered the closure of five outlets for failing to meet food safety standards.

In March, the authority shut down two butcheries, a restaurant and a supermarket over repeated food safety breaches.

In 2023, the food regulatory body conducted more than 103,000 inspections across the emirate to ensure food safety guidelines are met. Of these, 63,690 inspections were conducted in Abu Dhabi City, 29,583 in Al Ain City and 9,998 in the Al Dhafra Region.

Its recently launched Zadna Rating app, which allows the public to access inspection reports of over 9,000 food outlets, has also contributed to raising the compliance score by over 75 per cent.

The authority reminded the public to report suspected breaches by calling the Abu Dhabi government call centre on 800 555.