Control teams under the National Authority for the Safety of Food Products conducted, during the first ten days of Ramadan, 4,530 official surveillance operations. These led to the effective seizure of about 108 tonnes of foodstuffs deemed unsafe, as well as the closure of 20 public-facing food establishments that did not meet sanitary safety conditions.
These interventions, carried out by 95 control teams (on average per day) and affecting 3,971 active structures in the food sector, also allowed for the recording of 134 situations requiring the drawing up of an investigation report, and the issuance of 315 written warnings, according to a statement published this Sunday by the Authority.
The quantities of seized and destroyed products include notably dried fruits (peanuts): 40,193 tonnes (37.2%), fresh fruits and vegetables (apple/banana/onion/olive): 20,713 tonnes (19.2%), fish and seafood (fresh and frozen): 16,108 tonnes (14.9%), processed fruits and vegetables (primarily pickles): 7,170 tonnes (6.6%), as well as milk and its derivatives: 6,833 tonnes (6.3%).
The seizure reasons are linked to the presence of live insects and worms and traces of rodents (42%), to expiration (19.1%), to putrefaction, color change and the emission of nauseous odors (17.9%), to storage, sale and keeping in unsanitary conditions (10%), to absence of labeling (2%), and to non-conformity of the analytical results (2.5%), in addition to other causes such as non-compliance with the cold chain, hygiene rules during preparation, non-conforming packaging and conditioning, anarchic slaughter and lack of veterinary validation.
The Authority specified that these control operations are part of the specific monitoring program for food products during Ramadan 1447 H. It assured that its teams would continue their control activities throughout the month, intensifying field visits and taking the necessary legal measures to sanction offenders, in accordance with the legislation and regulations in force.
It also called on citizens to purchase foodstuffs from organized and dedicated spaces and shops, to avoid street vendors and informal circuits, while ensuring the safety of the products and their expiration dates prior to purchase, and to adopt good sanitary practices in the storage and handling of foods.
Finally, the Authority reminded that it makes available to the public the toll-free number 80106977 to receive complaints and respond to information requests related to food safety and the quality of food products.
