Confiscating 138 tons of vegetables and fruits in Al Mawaleh central market
The administration of Al Mawaleh central market had confiscated 138 tons of vegetables and fruits that included 1065 Kgs of apples, 2530 Kgs of oranges and 25460 Kgs of carrots unfit for human consumption after detecting rotten parts on its surface. We destroyed more than 108 tons of potatoes due to some tenderness, green spots and roots blossoming on them and destroying 2160 egg due to their expiry.
The administration of the market and food inspection and auditing conducted 4558 inspection visits to shops selling fruits, vegetables ,restaurants, coffee shops and cool and frozen storages to ensure the applications of safety rules of food displayed in the market, which resulted in charging 20 health violation and closing a shop due to its non cooperation in changing the violations charges. Municipality vehicles moved 1395 tons of expired food material to sanitary landfills.
These campaigns are conducted as an attempt of the municipality to audit different practices concerning public heath and food safety in the markets, applying health conditions, raising awareness levels of shops and their keepers to offer the best services to consumers by order number (1/2006) concerning the protection of public health and rules and legislations for auditing work on food businesses and health rules and regulations concerning practices related to food consumption specifying the duties alloted to the inspection team and how to fulfill their task. Rules that should be followed when trading in food products were determined. It was specified in article number (2) that the municipality has the right to close the business and shops concerned with public health once an unlicensed practice has been detected, or an fraud of food products, or presence of insects or rodents or any condition in the place that indicate sanitary leakage , or in case of trade in products that has been confiscated by the municipality, or in case or a group food poisoning, or any epidemic disease resulting from food or beverage sold in the shop, or the repition of not abiding by the health measures, or not correcting cases of violations, or employing staff members with contagious diseases, or in emergency cases decided by the whichever authority it may concern.
The Municipality of Muscat urges owners of commercial businesses to abide by all the health rules and regulations, maintain them and get back to the concerned authority in case of having any questions. Consumers are also welcome to contact Muscat call center (1111) to give notes or ask questions. The municipality urges everyone`s cooperation to maintain public health safety.