Inspectors of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) recently charged three cases against food establishments for food safety violations and issued 86 warnings in a surprise inspection campaign carried out during the night.

The campaign, which began at the stroke of the midnight to eight in the morning, targeted establishments running round the clock in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region. The inspectors destroyed 370 KG of unsafe food during the campaign, a statement from the ADFCA said.

Ahmed Abdul Karim Al Sharaf, acting director of communication and community service at ADFCA, said the campaign, which pressed into service 42 inspectors, was meant to ensure that food handlers adhered to the rules and regulations. "There is a general feeling that no one is there to monitor food safety during the night. We wanted to send out a clear message that ADFCA is alert round the clock and would not turn a blind eye to any food safety violation, small or big."

The campaign targeted 159 food establishments which included restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries and others, he said. "During the campaign, we noticed several bad practices. The way raw foods were transported was one of the commonly found violations.”

“ADFCA is determined to increase monitoring operations during the evening hours in view of the large turnout of consumers at that time. We will not allow any minor or major acts of food safety violation to happen regardless of the size of the food establishment,” Al Sharaf concluded. – TradeArabia News Service