Inspection campaigns at Al-Kamel slaughterhouses in preparation for Ramadan 1447

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture's office in Al-Kamil Governorate, represented by the Markets and Slaughterhouses Department, announced the launch of a comprehensive field campaign on Monday, August 21, 1447 AH (corresponding to September 22, 2020), aimed at assessing and monitoring the readiness of the governorate's slaughterhouse for the holy month of Ramadan. This proactive step comes as part of the commitment to providing safe and healthy food for citizens and residents during Ramadan, which typically sees a significant increase in meat consumption.

Supervisory mobilization and high-level directives

These field operations are being conducted in accordance with the directives of His Excellency the Director General of the Ministry's branch in the Makkah Region, Engineer Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Dughais, and under the direct and on-site supervision of the Director of the Ministry's office in Al-Kamil Governorate, Dr. Mahmoud bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi. The campaign focuses primarily on intensifying inspection tours to ensure the operational readiness of slaughterhouses and the extent to which operators are adhering to all health and regulatory requirements approved by the Ministry.

The importance of timing and the overall context

These campaigns are of paramount importance given their timing, just before the annual peak season of Ramadan. Strategically, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture operates according to seasonal plans aimed at meeting the increased demand for red meat while ensuring that quality and safety standards are not compromised. This measure is part of the Kingdom's food security system, which it seeks to strengthen. Strict oversight ensures that slaughtered animals are free from diseases and epidemics that could be transmitted to humans, and prevents the phenomenon of unregulated slaughter outside of licensed abattoirs, which poses a serious environmental and health risk.

Strict standards and full compliance

In this context, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ghamdi explained that specialized teams are working according to a precise timetable that includes regular and surprise visits before and during Ramadan. This plan aims to:

• Checking the safety of meat handling, storage, and transportation methods.
• Ensuring the general cleanliness of the facilities and sterilizing the tools used.
• Examining the workers and ensuring they are free from diseases and have the necessary health certificates.
• Applying legal penalties against violators without leniency to ensure deterrence and raise the level of compliance.

Corporate social responsibility and partnership with beneficiaries

Al-Ghamdi emphasized that consumer safety is a red line that cannot be crossed, noting that the ministry relies heavily on community awareness as a key partner in the oversight process. He called on all citizens and residents of Al-Kamil Governorate to cooperate with the inspection teams by immediately reporting any observations regarding the quality of services provided or any health violations, stressing that concerted efforts between official bodies and the community are the primary guarantee for protecting public health and enhancing quality of life.