Food inspectors

The Municipal Veterinary Service inspects and monitors food safety and sanitary conditions in businesses by conducting hundreds of sanitary inspections in businesses that sell animal-based food, with an emphasis on butcher shops and restaurants. The goal is to stop the sale of animal products that aren't fit for human consumption and/or are of poor quality and could be dangerous to public health.

Veterinary Inspections and Oversight of Businesses

Representatives of the Veterinary Service, together with the Ministry of Health, conduct inspections of animal-based food (meat, poultry, fish, and their products) in butcher shops, restaurants, banquet halls, dining rooms, and supermarkets.

The purpose of the inspection is to identify deficiencies that may endanger public health and bring them to the attention of the business owner so that they can be corrected. The correction of deficiencies is monitored until the licensing stage.

In serious cases where the business owner does not cooperate and endangers the public, the Municipal Veterinary Service will recommend that the business cease operations until the deficiencies are corrected.

In cases where food products are found to be unfit for human consumption, the municipal veterinarian has the authority to destroy them on the spot.

Inspection Highlights:

  • Maintaining proper sanitation rules
  • Checking that cooling methods are suitable for the type of product
  • Product traceability
  • Product labeling
  • Product expiration date
  • Whether the product is fit for consumption
  • Explanation and guidance for the business owner

Useful tips for proper consumption:

Veterinary Service representatives conduct inspections at marketing and sales points.

However, this does not completely prevent the marketing of products that are unfit for consumption. Therefore, as consumers, you also have a responsibility to yourselves and your families. You must be alert and aware of proper purchasing practices—

  • Make sure that the product is properly packaged and comes with a label that includes a description of the product, storage conditions, expiration date, etc.
  • Only buy meat from a known source that has been slaughtered and processed in an approved slaughterhouse.
  • Make sure that the meat has been stored in proper conditions in a suitable refrigerator or freezer before purchasing it.
  • Make sure that the smell, color, and texture are characteristic of the type of meat.

If you have any doubts, please call 106 to let us know so we can look into it.