Special team to redress complaints on food safety

A special team from the Food Inspection Department of Dubai Municipality will ensure prompt reddressal of consumer complaints related to quality of food during Eid. The department will put six inspectors for Deira and a team of five for Bur Dubai areas on duty during Eid. This team will deal with complaints and issues and will also conduct inspections on food supply outlets. On duty "If consumers have any issues related to the quality of food, they find it stale or spoilt, they can call us and we will immediately act on it. Our team, who will be on duty during the Eid days, will also conduct inspections in case it is required," Aref Mohammad Al Marzouqi, Acting Head, Food Inspection Department, told Gulf News. The department has advised residents to be careful that the food they buy is not stale or spoilt. "People should not buy from unapproved sources or mobile vendors as the quality of food is not ensured and it can be harmful to their health. They should buy meat, fresh food, fruits, and vegetables only from approved vendors." The department took special measures during Ramadan to ensure adherence to food quality standards. The department also instructed that selling and display of light meals should not be done outside the premises of outlets like bakeries and cafeterias. "During the holy month we asked them not to sell or display light meals outside premises and they had to take special permission if they were to do so." Messaging The Dubai Municipality is actively generating awareness regarding its activities and also information for the benefit of general public through the use of SMS and Blackberry messenger services. "We have over 30,000 customers who we send SMS and 5,000 registered blackberry users. It is a highly effective way to distribute useful information of public interest," said Mohammed Ahmed Al Louz, Head of Contact Centre. Consumers can lodge their complaints on 800-900 at the 24 hour call centre in case they have any food safety related concerns.