Through first half of August, closing 17 facilities, getting rid of 3606 K.Gs of food stuff in 2677 visits in Muscat municipality for application of regulations and systems protecting society`s health of hazards
Follow up By: Ibrahim Al-Hassani
Muscat Municipality closed 17 facilities including cafes, restaurants and stores selling food stuff due to observing breaches to the systems and health affairs decrees through this august, where the health inspection departments of Muscat municipality`s general directorates executed (2677) visits covered the wilayat of Muscat and resulted in getting rid of 3606 K.Gs of fruit, vegetables and food stuff and they also resulted in filing 108 reports for facilities breaching the applicable regulations and requirements.
The most important reasons behind getting rid of fruit and vegetables were decay, fungi, and blackness, wilting, and random storing in unprepared placed. Also the expiation of the packed products where 254 decayed package have been confiscated. The municipality is keen to intensifying inspection, observance, following 24 hour-visits a day to insure safety of the food provided to consumers.
Inspection teams carried out also inspection campaigns to leverage the healthiness level of the stores and their workers and providing high quality services to consumers.
The Local decree No (2006/1) of protecting the public health specified the legislations and codes of the inspection works related to food facilities and the health stipulations of carrying out practices in connection with public health and established the frames of carrying out the activities and specified the responsibilities on the team and the way of undertaking his work. It also defined the principles that should be followed in circulating food in relation with food facility. It also defined in the article (2) that the Municipality has the right to close food institutions and shops that has relation with public health in case of carrying out any activity without having a national license, committing a commercial cheat, existence of insects, drainage leak, selling the food or drinks prevented by the Municipality or existence of collective poison state, epidemic illness comes from food and drinks in the shop, the repeat of non complying with health stipulations, non removal of health wastes, hiring infected workers or in emergent cases defined by the specialized authorities.
The administrative decree No.(168/2011) of issuing the regulations and health stipulations of the public health, the practice of each activity alone including food activities and other relative activities of the public health, stipulations of the building and electricity, water and drainage connections and public hygiene, fighting insects, security and safety stipulation and stipulations related to manpower. The Municipality also work continuously on developing and updating the health stipulations according to what is new in this part.
Muscat Municipality calls on the owners businesses to adhere to the implementation of all health requirements in their establishments, to follow up the situation there, and to refer to the competent municipal authorities if they have any enquiries. The consumer citizens and residents can communicate with Muscat Call Center by dialing (1111) to express any comments or concerns.