Some eateries not following safety norms

MUSCAT, JAN 2 - Muscat Municipality has raised concerns over the lack of health safety guidelines at some establishments, especially coffee shops and restaurants.
The municipality said in a report it has been conducting campaigns against such owners and making them comply with food safety guidelines.
It urged the people to report any case of abuse or circulation of substances unsuitable for consumption.
“Changing food habits, especially popularity of fast food, have led to an increase in the number of people having food outside their homes. This leads to restaurants preparing meals in large quantities, which might bring down the quality of preparation,” said the report.
According to Qais bin Sulaiman al Kushri, Director-General at the Directorate General of Health Affairs, some challenges include low level of health standards maintained by some restaurants.
As per the evaluation carried out in 2017, which included 840 restaurants and cafes, 20 per cent (169) restaurants did not meet the minimum acceptable level of standards.
These restaurants were given time to improve their operating conditions. Yet, 48 restaurants failed to meet the deadline, the municipality said.
The Directorate General in Quriyat conducted 5,076 campaigns until November 2018, which included restaurants and bakeries, cafes and bakeries, and large commercial centres and recorded 56 violations.
The women’s inspection team in Muscat carried out 2,184 intensive campaigns at hairdressing shops and hotels, which led to the closure of 22 shops and seizure of cosmetics.
A total of 474 weekly campaigns have focused on shops that require constant monitoring — laundry shops, bakeries, fruits and nuts, men’s barber shops, and juice and ice cream shops. It covered 36 shops and recorded 13 violations.
A total of 70 kg of cooked food and 160 kg of ingredients used in cooking were confiscated.
Recently, the food control department in Greater Muttrah raided 30 coffee shops and restaurants and reported six cases of irregularities. A total of 55 kg of cooked food and 61 cooking utensils were seized.
Article (4) of the Local Law (1/2001) on the regulation of markets states that no person may offer or sell a commodity or a commodity unless he has the necessary licence from the municipality and other competent authorities.
Article 7 stipulates that no person shall display or sell any goods or goods in a transport vehicle or erect kiosks on the market corridors or public roads without obtaining a health card and the authorisation from the municipality and the competent authorities.
The municipality shall immediately remove the violation with the cost to be incurred by the violator.
Muscat Municipality has worked to meet this challenge by building on the regulations regulating the work of street vendors issued by Ministerial Decision 241/2016) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), and issuing Resolution 185/2017 about special health requirements for regulating the work of street vendors.
The urban inspection departments are equipped with scientific and technical capabilities to ensure these establishments meet health safety requirements.