Clampdown on halwa shops in Oman after plastic bucket viral video

Energy Monday 16/October/2017 11:13 AM
By: Times News Service
Clampdown on halwa shops in Oman after plastic bucket viral video

Muscat: Inspection teams have toured Omani halwa makers to ensure health and safety requirements are being maintained, in the wake of a sweet shop being closed for using melting plastic buckets to transfer the famous Omani delicacy.
Read also: Oman halwa shop closed after viral video shows melting plastic buckets
The inspections were carried out across various governorates in Oman, according to the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources.
A number of pots and unusable tools were confiscated by the ministry during the campaign.
"The campaign aims to strengthen the supervisory role on these establishments to ensure their compliance with health requirements and their conformity with the approved standards, and to take action on those who violate these conditions," the ministry reported.
"It also aims to raise awareness of the best ways to store the raw materials and the final product and how to keep the preparation, cooking and washing sites clean and healthy," the ministry added.
Recently, a store in Oman, which made halwa using melting plastic buckets, was closed down, the Ministry of Regional Municipalities announced. A viral video posted online shows men in the shop making halwa but using melting plastic buckets to transfer the mix from a large industrial bowl to a smaller plastic one.
Omanis reacted in horror to the video, which clearly shows the plastic bucket being used to transfer the hot halwa mix bending and melting as the men transfer the contents from one container to another.
In a statement posted online, the Ministry of Regional Municipalities said the halwa shop that used plastic has now been closed down.
“The Ministry of Regional Municipalities caught and closed the halwa factory, which used plastic containers in a video that was circulating on the social media,” said the ministry.
“The ministry stressed the need for all factories and halwa shops to comply with the requirements and specifications adopted, or else legal action will be taken against violators,” added the ministry.