Sharjah conducts 12,000 inspections, shuts down two food warehouses for violations

Sharjah City Municipality announced that it conducted 12,256 inspection visits to food establishments during the first quarter of this year to ensure full compliance with health standards and regulations and strengthen the public health system in the emirate.

As part of these regular and surprise visits, the municipality shut down two food warehouses for non-compliance with the established and approved health requirements and standards, through which the municipality ensures the provision of safe and sound food to consumers or, otherwise, takes the necessary administrative and legal measures against offenders.

As part of their inspection campaigns, the inspection teams were able to detect the violations committed by the two warehouses and seize the food items they contained before they entered the market to be traded, said Jamal Juma Al Mazmi, Director of Health Control and Safety Department at Sharjah City Municipality.

The seized items included food products that were prohibited from being traded or used in the emirate as well as other products that did not conform to health specifications and standards, he added, noting that the municipality immediately took the necessary measures to confiscate and destroy the seized items as per established procedures and shut down the two warehouses.

Inspection of establishments is based on clear standards that have been established to cover all aspects including methods of preparing, processing and storing food as well as checking if workers abide by good health practices, hold occupational health cards and are trained within the Sharjah Food Safety Programme, he said.

The standards also include other requirements such as those related to cleanliness, equipment, tools, maintenance requirements of the facility, among others, he added.

Meanwhile, Khalifa Bughanem Al Suwaidi, Director of Control and Inspection Department, affirmed that the municipality’s inspection teams operate within a unified system to monitor negative behaviours that distort public appearance or negatively impact the health of individuals and society.

They co-ordinate in order to take the necessary measures if any violations are detected, he added, noting that the inspection teams are distinguished by their precision, observation and high degree of efficiency.