As holy month approaches, Municipality beefs up raids – Comprehensive field plan in place: Al-Hasham Authorities have raised alert levels at their highest in all governorates as the holy month of Ramadan begins. As usual, huge amounts of foodstuff are being pumped in the markets during this occasion, prompting the municipality authorities in all governorate branches to focus their inspection campaigns on food. Legal action will be taken against anyone violating food safety norms to ensure good health of consumers. In this respect, public relations director Rasheed Al-Hasham said that a comprehensive field plan drafted in cooperation with all municipality governorate branches will be implemented when the month of Ramadan begins. The plan will cover the public markets, foodstuff outlets, cooperative societies, slaughter houses and foodstuff manufacturing companies to ensure that everyone abides by the rules and regulations and only foodstuff that are safe and suitable remain in circulation. The work teams will be on their guard round the clock, and will receive any complaints on the hotline 139 for public service at all hours. In the capital governorate, municipality branch director Eng. Faleh Al-Shimmary said that a plan has been prepared for the entire month whereby markets will be kept under strict supervision. The places visited by a large number of people, such as Mubarakiya market, meat markets, wholesale markets at Shuwaikh and the foodstuff stores at Al-Rai Area, that form the supply line for food items, in addition to increasing number of butchers and laborers in capital slaughter house will remain under specific watch. These are the places where hygiene norms must be particularly applied, including quick lifting of the skins and leftovers of slaughtered animals from outside the slaughter houses. The director of imported foodstuff, Eng. Istiqlal Al-Muslem, said that all efforts were on to cover all import outlets along the land, sea and air routes as these are the main gateways for the foodstuff coming to Kuwait. Efforts are being made to ensure no food is used till it is cleared through lab tests as fit for human consumption. Legal action will be taken against violators, she added. Since the month of Ramadan falls this year in the middle of the summer, when temperatures are very high, supervision had started a few months earlier to ensure safety of the food items. In the Hawllay governorate, director of the municipality branch Fahad Al-Fahad said that having learnt from past experience, “We have take necessary measures to increase the level of supervision across all markets and slaughter houses besides ending the menace of vendors who are usually active during this season.” He said that the foodstuff related activities were kept under consideration as there were a large number of outlets in the governorate, many of them located near the beach where there is great demand from public in the evenings. He said that inspections will be carried out twice a day. Apart from the one carried out daily in routine, an additional check will be run after Iftar and “Sohoor”. These will be surprise inspections, and no advance warning would be given. Ahmadi governorate director Eng. Fahad al-Otaibi said his staff was prepared in all respects and coordination was being carried out among all departments, especially concerning the food items. Al-Otaibi said the inspection campaigns were carried out round the year as per a prepared program and on all occasions. In Mubarak Al-Kabeer, governorate director Eng. Shriedeh Al-Mutairi said that strict supervision was in place as far as foodstuff outlets and central stores in the governorate were concerned, in addition to factories in Subhan areas. A plan was in place for the occasion. Al-Mutairi said that during a campaign, an unlicensed store was discovered in a building and was closed. Three citations were handed out for the violations discovered and food items weighing 100 kgs found unsuitable for human consumption were destroyed. In Jahra municipality branch, director Eng. Sami Al-Saeedan said because of a large population of the governorate, a number of regulations were imposed regarding different food related activities including those applicable to super markets, restaurants and food supply chains that prepare Iftar meals. In addition, strict control was being exercised over vendors who sell dairy products in the main streets usually before Iftar. And finally in Farwaniya Municipality, its director Eng. Ahmad Al-Hazeem said that a number of formalities were being observed on the occasion of the holy month and inspection officials will remain focused on all foodstuff outlets and vendors, mainly in Jleeb Al-Shoyoukh and Khaitan. He pointed that a thorough plan was in place to monitor the governorate’s slaughter house during the holy month
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:52:26 +0000
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