Dubai: With Ramadan beginning next week, Dubai Municipality has intensified inspection visits for food safety and public health.
The civic body has planned campaigns for commercial centres, food preparation facilities, restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. Additionally, the campaigns further extend to salons, beauty centres, smoking areas in cafes and restaurants, games and events areas, as well as labour accommodations across Dubai.
This includes strict compliance with approved food safety standards by both owners and employees across the entire food preparation process, including storage, preparation, and cooking.
Sultan Al Taher, director of Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality, underscored the Municipality’s commitment to safeguarding the community against potential food-related risks. “The goal is to ensure that all residents in the emirate can get nutritious, secure, and safe food that adhere to the highest food safety standards,” Al Taher said.
He pointed out the monitoring and inspection campaigns will continue throughout Ramadan. Specialised teams will be monitoring and inspecting Ramadan tents, ensuring their compliance with safety requirements.
Additionally, the campaigns will also ensure proper cooking methods and thermal preservation practices. It further will ensure compliance of workers in these facilities, adherence to personal hygiene standards, use of gloves and headgear, and provide occupational health cards.
Moreover, the campaigns are dedicated to ensuring the quality and sourcing of meat, emphasising that it is slaughtered within certified venues.
Dubai Municipality has already conducted some inspection campaigns for checking the quality of indoor air and water systems, evaluating elevator efficiency, and functionality of emergency exits.
Dubai Municipality also conducted a campaign titled ‘Safe and Inclusive Experience with Dubai Canteens’, and the campaign ‘Ramadan Karim and Healthy Meat’ with the Department of Canteens. An anti-parasite campaign will also be carried out in Al Qusais cattle market during the second half of Ramadan.
The Municipality has also adjusted the opening times of Al Quoz, Al Lesili, Al Qusais, and Hatta markets during Ramadan, from 8am to 4pm, Saturday to Thursday. Friday timings will be between 8am and 12pm, and from 2pm to 4pm.
Dubai Municipality stated that its call centre receives feedback and reports on food establishments, and inquiries about various health requirements for food safety 24 hours a day via the number 800900.
