Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras ordered municipal inspectors to beef up their inspections of food outlets to guarantee the adherence of hygienic standards.
“As part of a plan to maintain public health during the Jeddah festival season, inspectors of the branch municipal offices will step up their field visits and ensure that all food outlets adhere to hygienic regulations. The inspectors will also take penal measures to correct violators,” Basheer Najm, director general of the Commercial Licensing and Monitoring Department at the municipality, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The action plan includes monitoring restaurants, fast food suppliers, picnic points, cafeterias, kiosks and shops along the beach front down to Sharam Obhur, he said.
The inspectors will also check the shops, food outlets and fuel stations down the Jeddah-Makkah and Jeddah-Madinah expressways. Food producing factories and fitness clubs, salons, laundries, food warehouses and cold storage and water bottling establishments will also be subjected to regular inspections.
Inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will help the municipality in inspections in order to detect commercial frauds and adulteration and illegal operations especially in Ramadan when temporary stalls will be permitted to sell food.
The municipal plan also includes testing samples taken from food outlets and water bottlers. Any establishment wanting in maintaining the hygienic standards and other regulations will be either fined or shuttered, the official said.
The municipality will also distribute awareness publications to the public to practice safe health habits, including not using razors more than once at salons.
Only food items manufactured by licensed and hygienically-run establishments will be allowed in markets.
