Food hygiene high on the agenda for Dubai kitchens as Ramadan draws near

Staff from 115 traditional kitchens attended a meeting with Dubai Municipality to boost food safety ahead of Ramadan.

DUBAI // More than 100 owners of traditional kitchens in Dubai have been warned against unsafe food practices during Ramadan and have been given a nine-point plan to follow.

Dubai Municipality met caterers and food suppliers yesterday and asked bosses to appoint approved health supervisors, ensure training and personal hygiene of workers, properly store food and equipment and maintain a register for raw meat, among other measures.

"As Ramadan is just a call away, we understand the importance of beefing up our systems to ensure food safety," said Sultan Ali Al Taher, head of inspection at the municipality's food control department.

"This meeting comes as a part of our keenness on food safety and consumer protection."

Traditional kitchens are popular for their regional dishes and generally cater to large orders of more than 10kilograms. Often, people and charities turn to these kitchens to give food to the poor, especially for iftar.

Mr Al Taher said his department would inspect all kitchens in the emirate to make sure they were adhering to the authority's regulations. Kitchen workers have to hold occupational health cards, undergo basic training in food safety, and ensure vehicles that transport food comply.