Dubai: Dubai Municipality has asked food outlets operating in Dubai Airports to keep excellent hygiene standards.
“The Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality urged all food establishments at Dubai airports to improve their hygiene standards so as to obtain not less than “Very Good” and “Excellent” [ratings] during their annual assessment,” the civic body said in a press statement on Tuesday.
The call to attain top rating came after the Food Inspection Section and the Foodborne Disease Control Team of the department conducted a workshop on food safety for the eateries in Dubai airports.
Sultan Ali Al Taher, head of Food Inspection Section and head of the Foodborne Disease Control Team, who led the workshop, said such meetings are based on the importance of these food establishments in the airport as it is a unique tourist destination in the emirate frequented by millions of passengers annually.
“It is necessary for the parties concerned (Dubai Municipality from the public sector and the private sector represented by these food establishments) to ensure compliance with all approved terms and conditions to ensure the safety of food offered by these establishments,” he said.
The team conducted the workshop to introduce the detection and monitoring system for employees working at the various food establishments affiliated to the airport, with the aim of informing them about the role played by the team in investigating food poisoning.
The workshop was also attended by Abdul Aziz Basheer Al Shaikh, principal food hygiene inspection officer, and Sherina Lootah and Mohammad Khalid Saeed, both senior food hygiene inspection officers.
Al Taher stressed the importance of joint cooperation to achieve the vision of Dubai in all areas of development, especially in the field of food safety, noting that Dubai Municipality in general and Food Safety Department in particular supports the food establishments in order to achieve the best international practices and commitment to apply the basic requirements which are approved by food control rules and regulations.
He also reiterated the importance of continuing effective communication between the Food Safety Department and the food establishments at Dubai airports.
This communication is important for the success of the control system and it ensures the achievement of the department’s vision of “sustainable control for safe food”. “The aim is not to achieve the greatest number of inspection visits and imposition of fines, but to activate the system of self-control in each establishment, and thus achieve the strategic goal to reduce the number of cases of food poisoning, which comes through the commitment to legislation and programmes, the most important among them being the implementation of the Hygiene Supervisor Programme effectively,” said Al Taher. He assured the food establishments of the department’s support for meeting those objectives.
Al Taher said that this could be done when these establishments apply the best programmes and hygiene practices that promote food safety, including the appointment of a hygiene supervisor [person-in-charge] in each establishment, who will act as the Hygiene Inspector of the establishment.
He stressed the importance of the Hygiene Inspector’s presence during the working hours of the establishment, not just for passing the required tests, but also for effective supervision and following up of all processes that take place in the establishment, as well as providing guidance to the employees on the procedures and regulations, take necessary corrective action, and communicate with the Food Safety Department.
The director of Food and Beverages at Dubai airports honoured the Dubai Municipality team and praised its initiative.