DAMMAM – More than 100 food outlets in Dammam and Makkah have been shut down for violation of hygiene regulations. Health inspectors from Eastern Province Municipality raided restaurants and other food outlets in Dammam, Al-Khobar and Dhahran and closed down 82 facilities for various violations, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The businesses were slapped with fines totaling SR665,600 for 345 violations, it added. Muhammad Al-Sufyan, spokesman for Eastern Province Municipality, said the inspectors raided 2,633 food outlets in the three cities. Foodstuffs weighing 723 kilograms and 4,879 liters of cooking oil were seized and destroyed after they were found to be unfit for human consumption. Meanwhile, Makkah Municipality closed down 25 restaurants for various violations. Inspection teams from the mayoralty raided food outlets in different parts of the city. Abdul Salam Mashat, deputy mayor of Makkah, said the mayoralty would continue inspection raids on restaurants and food outlets to ensure that they adhere to rules and regulations. A total of 668 kilograms of rotten foodstuffs and 400 pieces of unclean utensils were seized and destroyed, he said.
