‘Inspection visits planned to school canteens’

AMMAN — The Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweets Shops Owners (JARSSO) said Monday it will organise inspection visits to schools’ canteens, in cooperation with other concerned parties.

With the new academic year starting Tuesday, the field visits are aimed at ensuring the safety of students, JARSSO President Raed Hamada noted. 

“What we are concerned about is the safety and good health of our students. We don’t want to encounter any food poisoning cases,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

The JARSSO official noted that the inspectors will also check the prices of items sold at these canteens, which are set by the association. 

Hamada said the field visits will be conducted in cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply. 

Mervat Mheirat, director of GAM’s health supervision department, said the municipality annually holds its field visits to private school canteens to ensure students’ safety.

The GAM official said the department is still compiling figures on violations detected last year. 

Jordan Teachers Association Spokesperson Ayman Okour commended the inspection efforts, calling for more strict procedures by concerned parties to ensure the safety of students. 

“We don’t want scheduled visits. We want unannounced visits,” he added.