Jordan- Daily food safety inspections planned for Ramadan 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) will launch a campaign during Ramadan to ensure the safety of food served in restaurants, an administration official said on Wednesday.

JFDA Director General Hayel Obeidat said inspection teams will work in four shifts daily during the holy month to ensure that food is prepared in accordance with safety measures.

The inspection teams will have two shifts before iftar, the first meal after the dawn-to-dusk fast, and two shifts after iftar.

"Not only restaurants will be monitored for violations, but also cafs and Ramadan tents," Obeidat told The Jordan Times over the phone.

"Some restaurants were found using unapproved food items, and we want to check they are no longer doing so."

Advising the public not to buy juice from street vendors, the official said the ministry would also be stepping up its inspections of these vendors.

"The public should avoid buying juice from vendors, as we are not sure if the water they use to prepare the juice is clean or not," Obeidat explained, adding that the juice they serve may also be unfit for consumption after hours out on the street.

Supermarkets in malls will be also targeted.

"Our inspectors will check the validity of food items" but we encourage consumers to stay alert and not to buy any item without checking its expiry date," the JFDA director stressed.

Obeidat also announced that the administration had opened a new office in Zarqa Governorate this week to facilitate its work.

Another branch in Irbid will be opened before end of this year to serve the northern region, he said.