The Eastern Province Municipality is to strictly monitor food outlets during the holy month of Ramadan. The municipality's special focus will be on stalls selling popular snacks, such as sambosa, kabab, Ramadan special sweets and grilled meat. These items are usually sold before Iftar (breaking of fast) time. Hussain Al-Balushi, public relations manager and official spokesman of the Eastern Province Municipality, told Saudi Gazette that outlets that sell these snacks will be required to acquire a license to operate. Strict inspections will be conducted to ensure that food outlets conform to the sanitary and quality regulations of the municipality and to make sure that they are abiding by relevant hygiene regulations. Specially trained food inspectors have been deployed in Dammam, Al-Khobar, Jubail, Ras Tanura, Khafji and other cities of the province to focus on these Ramadan stalls, Al-Balushi said. In the mornings, these inspectors have been tasked to monitor supermarkets, cooperative stores and vegetable shops, while in the evenings, the inspections will be conducted on fast food outlets, restaurants and hotels. There will be tests to ensure that food prepared for Ramadan is fit for consumption as well as inspections of utensils and ingredients. Authorities have advised hotels and restaurants to use fresh meat every day. Storage of meat, according to the rules, is not allowed. All workers involved in preparing and serving food should have valid health certificates, Al-Balushi said. They will also have to wear white clothing and have their heads covered at all times when working. The inspection teams will check kitchens to ensure that plates and cutlery are clean. Violators will face closure and a large fine, he said. Al-Balushi said that employees handling food will also have to ensure that their fingernails are properly cut and that their hair is trimmed and they should wear hair covering and gloves at all times while dealing with customers.
