Keep rotten, damaged food off co-op shelves

Kuwait's Ministry of Social Affairs is reinforcing food safety regulations for cooperative societies, urging strict compliance to protect consumers. Reliable sources indicate that a circular has been sent to cooperatives, emphasizing the critical need to maintain product integrity and safety.

The directive reiterates the importance of separating food products from detergents and chemicals in both display and storage areas. Cooperatives must ensure proper storage conditions and appropriate temperatures for refrigerated and frozen goods. Displaying or selling expired, damaged, or unfit-for-consumption food items is strictly prohibited. Products suspected of being unfit must be isolated, and packaging integrity, along with clear production and expiration dates, must be guaranteed.

Furthermore, the circular stresses adherence to health regulations for facilities and transport vehicles. Maintaining cleanliness in markets, refrigerators, and packaging equipment, along with effective insect and rodent control, are essential. Food handlers must possess valid health certificates, and any employee showing symptoms of illness is banned from working. The ministry also warned against repackaging food in ways that could lead to contamination and the circulation of products with unknown origins.

Cooperative societies must obtain approval from relevant authorities before circulating products. The Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN) inspectors will continue to have access to check food items, records, collect samples, and implement measures to withdraw or destroy non-compliant products. This proactive approach aims to ensure the highest standards of food safety across the country.