DUBAI // More than 12,500 restaurants, cafes and other businesses that sell or serve food were inspected by officials from Ajman municipality last year.
Public health and environment inspectors issued 2,505 warnings, compared with 9,569 in 2012.
Officials found 566 breaches of health rules related to food conservation and safety – down from 1,527 in 2012.
Yahya Ibrahim Ahmed, director general of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, said breaches by food establishments dropped thanks to more compliance and awareness.
He said the municipality was launching awareness programmes and educating business owners while scrutinising companies’ health and safety requirements.
In line with efforts to ensure health and safety rules are observed, 12,587 inspections were carried out last year at establishments that sell or serve food and 890 permits were issued to private food-distribution vehicles.
Mr Ahmed said inspectors visited 550 food establishments after customer complaints. Officials also rejected 7,442 food shipments and analysed 3,894 meat, poultry and seafood samples.
In terms of environmental protection and waste management, Ajman municipality processed 221,637 kilograms of medical waste last year, with inspectors carrying out 4,352 visits to medical establishments. Officials issued 559 environmental licenses and rejected eight.
Seventy-six establishments were fined for not complying with the municipality’s environmental safety requirements and 1,435 warnings were issued.
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