Badea Abu Al-Naja Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The municipality here has closed down 12 restaurants for various violations including serving expired foodstuffs. It has also warned 14 other restaurants of similar punishment. Mohammed Hashim Fawtawi, director of the municipality's department of environmental health, said the municipality has launched a massive campaign against violating restaurants which will cover the entire districts of the holy city. "We have set up special inspection teams to routinely visit neighborhoods of two branch municipalities to make sure that the restaurants are serving hygienic food to the residents, pilgrims and visitors," he said. Fawtawi said during the past two days, inspection teams visited the areas under four branch municipalities — Al-Sharaie, Al-Shawkiyah, Al-Aziziyah and Al-Otaibiyah. He said 838 kg of foodstuffs which were poorly stored were confiscated and destroyed along with about 350 cooking utensils. According to Fawtawi, the violations also included lack of cleanliness, existence of rats and rodents, unhealthy transportation of foodstuffs, improper buildings and employing workers without health certificates.
