Food safety rules
for restaurants and hotels

To secure the sustainability
of food safety campaign

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced a new set of rules today for restaurants, hotels, and bakeries. It includes the specifications that will be examined by the Ministry, and that should be applied by food institutions to comply with standards.

“Owners of food institutions can no longer claim that they do not know the standards used by the Ministry to examine their products,” said Wael Abou Faour, MoPH Minister.
“The purpose behind launching this new list is to organize the food safety campaign and ensure its sustainability”, said Abou Faour.

The list includes several health specifications and conditions. MoPH supervisors will be checking the water supply networks, if there are water reservoirs, artesian wells, and filters, among others. It will check wastewater removal methods and whether it is connected to municipal sewage systems.

The list includes methods of eliminating solid waste. The Ministry supervisors will be checking if there are clean non-leaking garbage bags, as well as isolated rooms for storing waste with appropriate ventilation systems.
The Ministry will be checking for pest control practices and certificates provided by a private licensed company to attest to these efforts.

MoPH will also be checking for clean bathrooms that are situated far from the kitchens and if they include ventilation. The list includes criteria for clean changing rooms as well. Water taps should be equipped with sensors to allow workers to wash their hands without touching the faucets. The locations for cleaning food should be separated from the taps.

The ground and walls in food institutions should be covered with isolated material that is easy to clean. The equipment and utensils for preparing food should be clean, made from stainless steel and not from melamine. The institutions should include dining rooms for the employees. All areas should be properly ventilated to ensure there is no steam or any kind of odor.

The list also included the conditions for delivering and storing the raw materials and for preparing food, as well as choosing a separate place for the expired products. The list also included the conditions for freezing and refrigerating food products.

Employees must also follow a hygiene regimen set my MOPH and will be subject for health checks and training sessions into proper food preparation and safety.

The Ministry also prepared applications to be able to collect the samples from the food institutions. The application will be signed by the food institution’s owner and the food safety supervisor. It will include the kind of the institution, its location, and the reason for the visit, whether it a routine visit, or due to food poising, a complaint, or another. “The food safety campaign may only be continued if it is institutionalized,” said Abou Faour.