Makkah Municipality Provides Advanced Operational Laboratories for Year-Round Food Testing.

Makkah: Food monitoring, to ensure the suitability of food products consumed and traded in stores and markets, is particularly important for the Holy Makkah Municipality as it directly concerns consumers' health and safety. The municipality has put in place a comprehensive monitoring plan to oversee markets, food stores, restaurants and caterers, and carries out field inspections throughout the year, intensifying efforts during peak seasons. This ensures that displayed and traded food products are fit for consumption, compliance with regulations, and the legality of workers and meal providers. According to Saudi Press Agency, the municipality has set up several advanced laboratories equipped with high-tech equipment to test food samples. Specialized teams conduct field inspections round the clock, collect and analyze food samples using rapid detection devices. These analyses ensure the suitability of materials such as frying oils, cleaning supplies, and tools. The municipality also supervises the education a nd awareness programs for workers in establishments dealing in foodstuff. It operates several central and mobile laboratories with high-tech capabilities and specialized national staff. A central laboratory with a high operational capacity can analyze over 700 samples daily. There are also three modern, mobile laboratories equipped with advanced technologies designed for crowded areas, especially during peak seasons. These mobile labs ensure swift analysis of food and water samples, with each laboratory capable of processing over 150 samples daily. In October this year, the municipality's laboratories tested 2,900 samples of various food items; 90% of the samples were deemed fit for consumption. Municipality laboratories have recently received the international accreditation certificate granted to testing laboratories under the international standard ISO/IEC 17025, which has been issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) since 1987; it has been revised multiple times, the last time in 2008. ISO certification attests to an organization's compliance with quality standards; it is the most widely applied quality management system globally.