Sharjah Municipality begins receiving applications for permits to sell food to non-Muslim communities in Ramadan

Sharjah City Municipality announced the start of issuing permits to practice work and display food during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan for food preparation sites and offer them for sale to non-Muslim communities, including sites in commercial centers, and permits to display food in front of shops before Iftar time for restaurants, cafeterias, pastry shops and regag bakeries.

In this context, the Acting Director of Public Health and Central Laboratories, Adel Omar Salem, confirmed that the municipality has started receiving applications for those wishing to issue these permits and has allocated the office of the Food Control Section of the Department of Suburbs Affairs in Industrial Area 5, to receive applications and pay the necessary fees, as the municipality provided tools and work cadres to issue permits to customers and provide service within a short time.

He explained that applications for permits to sell food to non-Muslim communities have started to be received during the day in Ramadan, and these establishments are allowed to practice their activities in accordance with a set of controls set by the municipality, namely that food is served outside the site only, and it is not allowed to receive customers in the catering hall, and it is allowed to prepare and cook foods inside the kitchens only.

He stated that the display of food outside the shops comes in accordance with a set of health conditions and controls, including displaying food directly on the front sidewalk of the site, provided that it is not dirt, displaying food with an airtight glass box with a sliding or hinged door (not less than 100 cm high), placing it in stainless metal utensils, covering it with aluminum or transparent plastic sheets (food-grade), using food-grade packaging materials, and keeping foods at an appropriate temperature that is not refrigerated. Or frozen, and the foods offered must be prepared in the establishment and commensurate with its authorized activity.

He pointed out that the municipality, through the inspection teams of the Food Control Department, will follow up on all food sites and establishments to ensure their compliance with these controls, issue the necessary permits, and take the necessary measures against non-compliance, according to the approved sanctions list, as the municipality has allocated a team to ensure the compliance of these establishments.