Forty-three food outlets were shut last year for violating health safety rules in the Kingdom of Bahrain, it emerged.

Another 1,079 outlets were fined and 4.5 tonnes of stale food seized from the local market, according to health officials.

Health inspectors allowed 697,134 tonnes of food to enter the country during that time, but rejected 2,000 tonnes, they said.

The figures were released as the health ministry stepped up efforts to monitor food outlets ahead of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, being held from April 4 to 6 at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir.

A workshop was held yesterday by the Food Safety Directorate for representatives of various service industries to explain the relevant regulations and procedures.

Present at the four-day event were officials from all hotels and restaurants, Gulf Air, Bahrain Airport Services, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, health committees of municipal councils, Consumer Protection Directorate at the Industry and Commerce Ministry, BDF and the Bahrain Consumer Protection Society.

'We are focussing on places regularly visited by foreign tourists,' said Public Health Directorate's food control chief Dr Abdullah Ahmed.

'It is especially aimed at ensuring a cheerful and safe time for visitors, who are coming to Bahrain to enjoy the F1 race,' said Dr Ahmed.

The workshop also includes food inspectors to update them on the latest developments in the food services industry.

'We have extremely inflexible standards for food safety and we are very stern in imposing them,' said Dr Ahmed.

He said Bahrain had the latest equipment and was capable of conducting highly sophisticated tests on all types of foodstuff such as analysis for contaminants, radioactivity as well as hormones in meat, chicken and other items.

'We have the most advanced procedures for food safety control and our ultimate aim is zero food poisoning or hazard,' said Dr Ahmed.

He said anyone defying food safety rules now, all through or subsequent to the F1 event, would have to pay a heavy penalty. 'We are getting down to business now and want to send out a forewarning to everyone involved to abide by the law and uphold standards,' said Dr Ahmed.

He said efforts were on to follow the orders of the ministry that consumer well-being should be given the uppermost priority.

However, it was impractical to verify each and every box that enters the country or scrutinise each and every food outlet.

'That is why we have always urged the public to come forward with complaints and inform us of any defiance of safety rules,' he said.

People can report violations on the food safety on hotline 17273683, he added.-TradeArabia News Service