The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs intends to issue a uniform set of regulations to monitor public health and food stores.
Hamad bin Sa'ad Al-Omar, official spokesman for the ministry, said the monitoring program offers practical solutions and a comprehensive framework for the effective and ongoing control of all facilities that sell and distribute food.
Employees should have health certificates that state they are free of contagious diseases. The preparation, manufacturing and marketing of food products should be monitored to ensure they conform to the ministry's health and hygiene standards.
The minister has issued instructions for the implementation of the regulatory program. The general secretariat of the Ministry of Rural Affairs drafted the program. It was presented to the general directorate for environmental health and food management in coordination with secretariats and municipalities.
Intensive regulatory campaigns, such as the one conducted in Riyadh at the beginning of the summer, will be evaluated and analyzed to determine the effect on store owners and their employees, and consumers' health.
These analytical studies will be conducted in all provinces based on the capabilities of each of the 285 municipalities.
Al-Omar said the drafting of the regulatory program took into account the opinions and suggestions of the secretariats, municipalities and investors in the food manufacturing and distribution sector.
Arab News
7 September
