Ahsa is to permit the sale of the popular “shawarma” meat sandwich in the Eastern Province after a ban of two years. The ban on the sale of the product was introduced after a spate of food poisonings, but Al-Hayat Arabic daily said Friday that the regional governorate would rescind the ban as of this week with the introduction of stringent hygiene regulations. Sources told the newspaper that the regulations would cover the minimum area of the food outlet; the type of equipment used in food preparation, places where food is prepared, and the way frozen food is thawed. “This is to avoid exposing food to contamination in view of the high temperatures in the summer.” The sources said. “Mayonnaise will continue to be prohibited as it is a common cause of food poisoning.” They said that officials recently sent out to inspect restaurants across the region had reported a “noticeable improvement” in standards of hygiene and cleanliness and food preparation and presentation. “That led to the mayoralty giving a serious rethink to the ban on the sale of shwarmas during the summer,” they said. The sources warned that “rigorous inspections” would take place at “all restaurants” over the summer to ensure that all conditions are being adhered to and that any offenders would face penalties ranging from being barred from offering shwarmas to complete closure.
