Inspection teams examine expired food products at a warehouse in Erbil during a crackdown on unsafe goods. Authorities shut down 10 warehouses and issued warnings to four others.
Expired products 'destined for market'
Erbil food warehouses shut down, warnings issued in surprise inspection
ERBIL — Commercial inspection teams in Erbil conducted unannounced visits to 15 food warehouses on Sunday, resulting in the closure of 10 facilities, the issuance of official warnings to four, and one warehouse being cleared for compliance, an official said.
“Our teams, in coordination with municipal police, inspected 15 food warehouses in Erbil today. Due to the presence of expired goods, we ordered the closure of 10 warehouses, issued warnings to four, and found only one in full compliance,” said Hogr Ali, head of Erbil’s commercial inspection department, speaking to 964media.
Ali explained that inspections revealed the warehouses were storing expired food products destined for market distribution. “Following inspections, we discovered expired goods, including flour, cakes, noodles, and cleaning products,” he said.
Under current regulations, businesses ordered to shut down must remain closed for one to 10 days, depending on the volume and type of expired products found. If violations persist upon reopening, the cases will be referred to the courts.
Ali said that each closed facility faces fines ranging from 50,000 to 5 million Iraqi dinars ($33 to $3,333), depending on the severity of the violations.