167 outlets in Amman closed for health violations in Ramadan

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Thursday said field inspections during the first week of Ramadan resulted in the closure of 167 commercial establishments. 

Mervat Mheirat, director of GAM’s health supervision department, said GAM followed up on around 108 complaints and issued 266 tickets. 

In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, Mheirat noted that most violations usually take place in the hours leading up to iftar because that is when many consumers do their grocery shopping. The municipality official said the most common violations involve food, juice, cheese and sweets.

The municipality called on the capital’s residents not to buy from street vendors. 

She said the municipality formed 12 teams in cooperation with the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) and has 130 teams affiliated with it to cover all parts of the capital. 

The teams work in three shifts, Mheirat said, focusing on the period that is near iftar time. 

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, she said municipality teams have destroyed 3,021 tonnes of food items found unfit for human consumption and 7,402 litres of various liquids since the beginning of this year.