Egyptian authorities destroy tons of spoiled food, fish

CAIRO - 4 April 2019: Egypt's Ministry of Health announced destroying 1.92 tons of different spoiled food and 284 liters of juice and bottled water which were unsuitable for human consumption.

Moreover, police said they destroyed 36 tons of Chinese mackerel in Greater Cairo's Qalyubia.

The Health Ministry could seize the spoiled food and juice during crackdowns in a number of governorates, which had been carried out between March 11 and 21.

Also, 128 food facilities were closed for violating health regulations, said Alaa Eid, the head of the Preventive Medicine Department at Egypt's Ministry of Health, adding that samples of 59 kilograms of food were also sent to laboratories to check their suitability for consumption.

These crackdowns come in line with directives of Health Minister Hala Zayed to protect public health, health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said, affirmed taking proactive awareness measures for citizens to learn about the products that can harm their health.

Concerning the seized fish, a security report said they were possessed by an import/export company located in Qalyubia's Obour district, and that they were found to be unsuitable for human and animal consumption. The report said the fish were dumped safely according to the health and environmental standards in a specialized landfill near Cairo's Abu Zaabal.