Hospitality facilities in Abu Dhabi were issued with 473 warnings and 22 fines by food authorities over violations of hygiene and safety regulations last year.
The figures, released by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (FCA), mark a 45 per cent decrease on the previous year.
In 2011, FCA handed out 40 fines, 856 warnings and destroyed 122kg worth of foodstuffs deemed unfit for human consumption, according to Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.
Last year, only about half that quantity - 69kg - was destroyed.
Ahmed Al Sharaf, FCA's deputy head of communication and community service, attributed the decrease in violations to "more compliance to food safety regulations" and "a higher awareness" on the part of hospitality professionals.
[ newsdesk@thenational.ae ]
