RIYADH, 4 July 2007 — Riyadh municipal health officials unveiled yesterday a pamphlet to raise awareness of food safety among consumers and producers.
The colorful four-page pamphlet was prepared by the Environmental Health Department of the Riyadh municipality.
Soliman Al-Buthi, general manager of the department, said that thousands of such brochures will be distributed free of charge among consumers and restaurant owners. “Recent trends in food production, processing, distribution and preparation are creating an increasing demand for food safety measures to ensure a safer food supply,” he said. He pointed out that the pamphlet contains fundamental rules to be followed by consumers as well as cooks employed in the city.
He said the municipality supervises some 86,000 private establishments, which include 35,000 fast-food outlets, 23,000 restaurants and 300 hotels.
During the first quarter of the Islamic year, the authority, during its routine inspections, seized 230 kg of food unfit for human consumption. The department has 200 inspectors that regularly visit such establishments.
The booklet advises people to administer special care in the preparation of food since excessive heat would spoil it quickly due to formation of bacteria.
“Food prepared in unhygienic conditions and consumed without considering the food safety warnings will lead to irreparable consequences,” the pamphlet warns.
It had advised the owners of the eateries to see that their employers are healthy and practice personal hygiene, such as trimming their nails regularly and washing their hands with soap.
“The waiters should wear caps and gloves when they prepare and handle food for consumers,” he said. “The meat used in these outlets should be fresh and it should not stored for more than 24 hours.”
