3,450 rotten chickens seized by inspectors

JEDDAH: Jeddah municipality is keen to provide health and food security to residents and visitors of the city, and they are continually conducting inspections of food stores, restaurants, markets and food storage facilities to avoid any violations by food providers.
Municipality teams have shut down a number of shops and markets, and seized tons of rotten food from different markets and places in Jeddah.
The continuous efforts of the municipality led them to seize more than 3,450 rotten chickens in south Jeddah in Al-Falehia district in a compound on Monday.
Mohammed Al-Zahrani, head of one of the municipality’s branches, said with the help of security patrols the Jeddah municipality team seized a large quantity of rotten chickens that were ready for distribution in different shops and restaurants. He said the compound was turned into an illegal slaughterhouse for poultry, a total violation of municipality and labor laws, which was a threat to the health of residents and visitors of Jeddah.
In the compound, workers were slaughtering and skinning the chickens in informal and random ways and then packaging and distributing them to restaurants and shops.
The amount that was seized was more than 2,000 slaughtered chickens as well as 1,450 live chickens in cages.
Al-Zahrani said the municipality is working under the strict instructions of Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras in intensifying regular public health tours of facilities and food shops during Ramadan, and the summer season, to protect residents and visitors from any harm from rotten food.