Prof. Dr. Mamdouh Ghorab, Governor of Al-Sharkia, confirmed that the governorate pays great attention to the health sector and seeks, in coordination with the Directorate of Health Affairs, to provide all aspects of health care and treatment for patients and those visiting hospitals and health units, as well as monitoring and inspection of markets, food preservation stores, and food establishments to control prices, tighten supervision and control, and not exploit citizens.

The governor praised the role of the Food Control Department in the directorate in intensifying inspection campaigns on food establishments to ensure the safety of the products displayed therein and their compliance with all health and environmental requirements to ensure access safe food to citizens and to take all necessary legal measures against violators.

In this context, Dr. Hisham Masoud, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, indicated that the Directorate’s Food Control Department, during the year 2023, launched inspection campaigns on food establishments and markets, which resulted in the destruction of 342 tons and 893 kg of spoiled food, and 373 tons and 549 kg of food were seized, and the competent authorities were contacted to close 4,109 food establishments ( (For lack of a license - there is an imminent danger to public health), 19,931 police reports were issued, and 16,102 food samples were withdrawn and sent to laboratories to determine their suitability for human consumption.

The Undersecretary of Ministry of Health added that during the year 2023, 39,050 health certificates were issued to food handlers, 20,996 certificates were issued for exported food consignments, 3,982 imported food consignments were also seized, and 8,902 storage capacity certificates were issued for incoming food consignments in the governorate, in order to preserve the public health of citizens.