The Jeddah municipality is cracking down on restaurants and eateries to ensure that consumers have access to healthy food during the summer vacation and Ramadan.

The municipality launched a food security drive for the welfare of residents.

“We are keen on providing consumers with healthy food during the summer vacation and Ramadan,” said a media coordinator at the municipality. The drive comes within the framework of health specifications and controls laid down by the Health Ministry to ensure that food establishments are in compliance with the regulations.

The campaign will cover all the city’s restaurants, especially the fish restaurants inside the central markets, along the highways, on the streets, and inspect vendors who sell foodstuff on the streets to make sure they meet hygiene standards.

The head of the municipality has selected 31 officers to observe and monitor the food items on sale, the level of hygiene and cleanliness. They are authorized to shut down any eatery with poor storage facility.

The municipality has already visited 434 sites, warned 232 restaurants and eateries for not complying with health regulations and imposed fines totaling SR137,000. The municipality also closed down 14 restaurants for not meeting safety standards.