DOHA: Several eateries have been caught for keeping food in stores located inside labour camps, which is a serious violation of the law, a source at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment said yesterday.
Such violation could invite severe punishment, including fine and jail for the owners/operators of the erring outlet, and even deportation in case any food poisoning incident is reported from the eatery concerned.
In the latest such incident, the Health Monitoring Section at Doha Municipality caught two food stores at a labour accommodation in Najma area that were being used by restaurants, said a statement.
The stores were discovered during an inspection campaign and the erring eateries were found storing and preparing food inside the labour accommodation in unhealthy conditions. Necessary legal procedures have been initiated against the erring facilities, it added.
The eateries were located elsewhere, but they were using part of the labour camp as their stores. The Municipality said that storing and preparing food in such environment increases the possibility of contamination.
Since the stores are located inside the camps, they could escape the routine inspections conducted by the Municipality at the eateries. It will go undetected if expired or contaminated food is kept in the stores and this poses a major health risk, said the municipality.
Transporting cooked food from the camp to the eateries also poses danger, if the necessary health requirements are not met.
The Municipality said that stores functioning in such places will face permanent closure, while legal action will be taken against the erring restaurant or company.
The Municipality urged all restaurants and food outlets to meet the health conditions and prepare and store food only in designated places. Eateries have been asked to cook food only in minimum required quantities considering their space and nature.
Commenting on the issue, the ministry official told this daily that some eateries commit such violations for various reasons, including ignorance about the rules and the punishment, as well as the health and safety regulations. Some others find it a cheaper option to hire stores in labour camps at low rents.
Punishment for such offense range from fines to jail and even deportation in case of an incident of poisoning.
“We have seen many other cases like this. We come to know about the existence of such stores through complaints or information from other sources,” said the official.
Meanwhile, the Doha Municipality shut down a vegetable and fruit shop in Najma area for 15 days for selling expired food that was found unfit for human consumption.
