Trim hair, clip nails, RCB tells food sellers

RAWALPINDI: In a bid to crack down on unhygienic food being prepared at unhygienic eateries, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has set up a team which would visit such establishments within the cantonment and check whether the workers there are clean.



The move is part of the new, mandatory trade licences which all stores, restaurants and kitchens making processed food in the cantonment area would be required to secure to continue their operations, officials said.

Officials said that as part of the process to acquire the licence, all food-related businesses would have to prove that their workplace and staff are clean.

In this regard, the RCB has mandated that staff at facilities dealing in food and beverage must have trimmed hair, clipped nails and clean clothes.

The cleanliness of the staff would be certified by doctors of the Cantonment Hospital. Outlets which fail to acquire the licences would be sealed.

Moreover, officials said that RCB had set up teams which would visit markets and check staff working at food facilities for the lengths of their hair, cleanliness of their nails, and dresses. If they find that any staff violates the directives, the owner of the particular outlet would be fined.



The new directives would impact several businesses in the cantonment from bread makers to road-side tea stall operators to staff at multinational fast-food chains.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2016.