Jordan- Restaurants urged to take extra precautions in summertime 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) on Wednesday issued a circular calling on restaurants to follow food safety and handling instructions to avoid food poisoning, the risk of which increases in summer.

JFDA Director General Hayel Obeidat said high temperatures contributed to the spread and growth of bacteria that cause food poisoning so "restaurants should be more cautious in preparing food and follow safety instructions more than at any other time during the year".

He told The Jordan Times that a circular had been sent to restaurants across the Kingdom calling on them to monitor the personal hygiene of employees who work in food preparation, ensuring that their clothes are clean and that they wear gloves when handling food.

Equipment used for food preparation should be cleaned thoroughly, according to Obeidat, and food should be covered to protect it from insects, whose numbers increase in summer. Vegetables, in particular, should be cleaned very well before cooking.

"Restaurants are advised not to prepare large quantities of food in order that it does not spoil before being sold to consumers," the JFDA director added.

In addition, the administration advised consumers to be cautious before buying or eating any meals from restaurants and to report any violations to the JFDA at its toll-free hotline, 080022660.

Meanwhile, the JFDA announced that its staff was available to help provide instructions and training for workers in any of the Kingdom's restaurants on issues related to food safety.