Municipality continues inspections on foodstuff

The Director General of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Sabeeh said yesterday that the municipality's imported foodstuff department regularly conducts laboratory testing on food preservatives and dyes, especially those used in sweets and flavorings. Al-Sabeeh said that all food items containing preservatives and dyes are subject to laboratory testing to determine whether the items are safe for human consumption. "There is a long list of artificial dyes that should never be used, internationally," he explained, adding that municipality employees are familiar with this list. Preservatives are usually added to food, according to international standards, while it is being packed to prolong shelf life; an imbalanced combination of these preservatives would render the food unsafe and unfit for human consumption," he explained. Finally, Al-Sabeeh lauded the efforts exerted by the municipality's inspection teams who recently confiscated a large quantity of sweets and candies which unscrupulous traders intended to sell for the mid-Ramadan Kuwaiti children's festival, 'Girgian.' Meanwhile, the Director General of Kuwait Municipality said the Municipality will not hesitate to arrest those trading in rotten foodstuffs, including 'Girgiah' candies unfit for consumption, warning that these traders will be fined between KD500 and KD1,000, and their stores will be closed administratively. Al-Sabeeh said that health inspectors are closely monitoring all stores selling Girgian-related foodstuffs, and reiterating his warning that legal procedures will be taken against violators. He said that inspection teams in all six governorates are working round the clock to make sure that all foods sold meet the regulatory standards, and confiscating all foodstuffs unfit for human consumption. The senior official called upon consumers to check the expiry dates on foodstuffs, and inspect Girgian foods and sweets before buying them to ensure that they are not being cheated, also calling on them to inform the municipality in the case of any violations.