Jeddah Municipality removes 28 illegal barns, 18 abattoirs

PUBLIC THREAT: Officials found a number of irregular barns and slaughterhouses that did not fulfill the requirements of the municipality in terms of hygiene and cleanliness. (AN photo)

JEDDAH: As part of the efforts of the Jeddah Municipality to ensure hygiene, safety and security in the food sector, its officials keep a close watch on all illegal activities of the public relating to the slaughter and sale of meat. As such, the municipality has prohibited the slaughter of sacrificial animals outside of the municipal slaughter houses, as well as banning the random sale of unhealthy animals for slaughter on Eid Al-Adha.
Mohammed Al-Zahrani, the head of the Southern Jeddah sub-municipality, said the municipality’s commitment to safe food will continue, adding that they will keep a keen eye on restaurants, shops and food outlets to curb all kinds of illegal activities.
He explained that under this framework, the Jeddah sub-municipality closed 18 illegal slaughter houses and 28 barns for goats and sheep near the central cattle market in the South of Jeddah during the four days of Eid Al Adha.
He explained that during the Eid period, the south sub-municipality officials monitored the pens and slaughterhouses of several random sites in the area and found a number of irregular barns and slaughterhouses that did not fulfill the requirements of the municipality in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
Al-Zahrani said the municipality officials will continually follow-up on the lawbreakers and will not let any irregularities occur in order to preserve the health of the general population.
According to information from the municipality’s General Administration of Slaughterhouses and Markets Department, more than 63,407 carcasses were slaughtered in five municipality slaughter houses during the four days of Eid Al-Adha.
Jeddah’s main slaughterhouse received 21,350 animals for slaughter; Al-Khumra slaughter house received 15,871 animals; Al-Sabeel slaughter house received 11,480; Al-Nuzha slaughter house slaughtered 10,580; Hira slaughter house slaughtered 1,165 and University and Hamdaniya area slaughter house slaughtered almost 2,961 animals.
As per the food-safety framework, the municipality set up inspection points on all roads leading to Jeddah and seized 776 rotten slaughter animals, of which 526 were seized by the sub-municipality of Southern Jeddah and were being brought to Jeddah from Makkah after Eid Al Adha. Additionally, 250 rotten animals were seized by Briman municipality. Jeddah municipality also confiscated 96 trucks and cars that were used in smuggling the meat.