Restaurants, eateries under scanner

Close on the heels of grading restaurants according to their hygiene levels, the Muscat Municipality has categorically told eateries and other joints to follow healthy standards or face the music.

“We, at Muscat Municipality, call on all owners, managers and in-charges of food establishments to comply with the health requirements,” an official from the civic authority said.

The reminder from the Municipality comes in the wake of the colossal violation of such norms in the food sector unearthed during random raids conducted by the Food Control division of Muscat Municipality in the Wilayat of Bausher.

As much as 133 kg of spoiled food which was unfit for human consumption was destroyed, and more than 2,000 cooking utensils of low quality were confiscated besides booking the perpetrators for violations in the 16 violations found in 34 restaurants and cafes of various grades.

“We are on an ongoing mission to ensure that healthy foods are being provided by the restaurants, cafes and other joints in various governorates and all are urged to adhere to the values of good quality in foods, decor and service as hygiene measures would significantly promote the public health and contribute to strengthening and raising consumer confidence, he added.

The Muscat Municipality has earlier warned that eateries which pay less attention to hygiene standards would have to pay a doubled penalty as the authorities had launched an inspection drive to fix the gaps in maintaining healthy standards and in promoting a hygiene environment in the premises.

Various teams of experts, who are part of the project named “Proactive Food Safety and Health Project” in accordance with the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards, have been visiting eateries, restaurants, cafes and other joints to detect pesticides residues in vegetables, fruits and pickles used in serving the public.

The Civic Body had begun to grade restaurants and cafes in the capital area in order to classify them according to a diverse set of yardsticks.

“We have been visiting the restaurants to make sure that they adhere to the standards and specifications that we have stipulated to them and to ensure they continue to offer the foods and services they were licenced to do business”, an official at the Restaurants Evaluation Department said.

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