The authority has closed down a catering and foodstuff outlet in Al Ruwais in the Western Region for non-compliance with food safety rules and regulations, a senior official told Gulf News on Wednesday.
The outlet, United Families for Catering and Food Stuff, was functioning in a makeshift building in the midst of labour accommodations in the desert, Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Communication and Community Service Director, said.
"The closed outlet was housed in a cramped building made of iron and wood and was unfit for the purpose. It had no facilities for safe storage of food items and was selling foodstuff and cooked dishes without having a license from ADFCA. It was flouting all norms of food safety such as space specifications, overall environment and general hygiene," Al Reyaysa pointed out.
ADFCA had issued a final warning last month, asking the outlet to obtain the mandatory licence and implement safety rules, he said. In the beginning of this month, it was charged for violations, including for non-obtainment of licence, the official said.
On top of all, the workers were sleeping in the outlet itself and they were storing cooked foods in room temperature and in the open, he said.
Al Reyaysa stressed that food outlets serving the labour force in the emirate should take maximum care to provide the workers with safe food. "We will not take lightly any negligence with regard to the safety and well being of the labourers, who are an important segment of our society. They deserve to be treated and served with dignity and honour," he said.
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