Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Since the beginning of this year, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) issued administrative decisions for shutting down eight restaurants and food establishments in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra Region for committing violations that affected public health.

In March, the ADAFSA’s inspectors conducted intensive campaign to monitor restaurants and food establishments across the emirate, which resulted in closure of six restaurants and food establishments for violating Law no. 2 for 2008 with respect to food in the emirate and committing other violations that affected public health.

The ADAFSA issued a decision shutting down an establishment in Abu Dhabi City for repeatedly committing high-risk violations such as trading in expired foodstuffs, defrosting frozen foodstuffs in an incorrect manner and selling frozen chickens as fresh, not to mention the presence of foodstuffs from unknown sources and the lack of food cards for some materials.

It also shut down another restaurant for repeatedly committing violations related to food safety requirements and receiving many warnings for repeatedly committing high-risk violations such as infestation of insects and rodents and failure to abide by cleanliness requirements.

In addition, the ADAFSA shut down a meat selling facility for selling imported meat as local and infestation of cockroaches. It also shut down a supermarket for repeatedly committing high-risk violations such as expired food products that were offered for sale on its display shelves.

The ADAFSA explained that the administrative closure orders would remain in effect as long as the violation existed, noting that the restaurants and food establishments must change the food processing machines and clean and disinfect the food preparing sections in full before they would be reopened for the public.

It indicated that the closure and detection of the observed violations came as part of the inspection efforts aimed at strengthening the food safety system in the emirate and ensuring the abidance of all facilities by food safety requirements, noting that all facilities, irrespective of their nature and food products, are subject to regular inspection.

The ADAFSA called on the public to communicate with it and report any food violations or any doubt about the contents of a food item by calling the Government of Abu Dhabi’s toll free number 800555, enabling its inspectors to take the necessary measures for the ultimate aim of providing safe food to all Abu Dhabi inhabitants.