Twenty-five restaurants and supermarkets closed for failing hygiene inspections

Fujairah Municipality cracks down on food outlets who are failing to meet food safety standards

Fujairah closes several food outlets over fears they are not meeting health and safety standards. Pawan Singh / The National

Twenty-five food and grocery outlets were shutdown for health and safety breaches in Fujairah during the first half of the year.

The restaurants, cafeterias and supermarkets were closed for general cleanliness offences, non-compliance with public health requirements and the absence of health cards, while 347 others have been warned.

The Public Health Department at Fujairah Municipality said many of the closed establishments had not been following health and safety rules and regulations while preparing and serving food.

“Inspectors found some restaurants and cafeterias using unhealthy and unsafe techniques to defrost and refreeze food products. Some had not been following the department's instruction on preparing and serving food, while others had not renewed or issued health cards to employees working at the outlet,” said Fatima Al Mukasah, manager of the department.

“Some supermarkets were found to be keeping products in an unsuitable environment, using unhealthy methods of preserving and storing food and they were shut down immediately."

For the outlets that were issued warnings, there is a grace period of between one and 10 days, depending on the type of offence. If the offence is repeated, they could face a fine of between Dh100 and Dh5,000.

The department organised around 4,500 inspection campaigns during the first six months of 2018, while more are to be organised before and during Eid Al Adha.

“The health and safety of the public is our number one priority. Along with the regular inspections, we arrange intensified campaigns around Eid Al Adha to ensure the safety of everyone during the holidays,” said Ms Al Mukasah.

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The municipality has also assigned 311,000 insect spraying operations for the same period and carried out over 2,000 inspection campaigns in factories and industrial establishments.

“Twenty-one violations were uncovered in industrial and professional establishments operating in the emirate, while 104 warnings were issued for violating environmental rules and regulations,” said Fatima Al Sharari, a Fujairah Municipality administration manager.

Last month, food safety inspectors closed an illegal processing facility in Sharjah. It was understood to have been producing roasted nuts, coffee and baked goods for a number of well-known outlets.