7% food warehouses in Dubai fail inspection

Inspections conducted by the Food Control Section of Dubai Municipality in warehouses storing foodstuff  has revealed that 7% of the total establishments were not complying with the hygiene standards of the civic body.

With the onset of summer, the Dubai Municipality wants to ensure that the food stored in the warehouses is stored properly so that it is safe for human consumption.

Sultan Al Tahir, Head of the Product Control Section in the Food Control Department said the inspectors covered 257 warehouses that included warehouses of dry, chilled and frozen food items in Dubai.

“The inspections resulted in the municipality issuing fines to 144 establishments. We want the owners of these warehouses to know that they need to adhere to the approved hygiene requirements of the Municipality,” he said.

Tahir said that while most of the warehouses received good assessment 18 received medium and weak assessment marks as they were found flouting the rules regarding hygiene laid down by the Dubai Municipality.

"We have instructed them to comply with the requirements and the need to modify their status,” he said.
 
Tahir said the prominent violations in the warehouses that had been fined were the accumulation of goods and the lack of proper ventilation system while preserving the food.

He said conservation of food depends on knowing the appropriate conditions for the storage of each type of food item in order to prevent contamination and spoiling.

“We want to make sure warehouses are complying with the rules for proper storage of food, which has more chances of getting spoilt during summers because of high humidity and temperatures, which allows the growth and reproduction of microbes,” said Tahir.

He said controlling the temperature level is the most effective way to reduce the risk of microbes and preventing it from multiplying and destroying foodstuffs during storage.

“So you must store the food in temperatures that are suitable for them, whether they are refrigerated, frozen or dry food,” said Tahir.
 

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