A total of five commercial establishments, including restaurants and supermarkets, were temporarily closed on Tuesday by the Ministry of Health (MINSA) in the district of Arraiján, Panama West province. Jorge Melo, regional director of MINSA, indicated that among the sanitary irregularities found were the inadequate storage of meats in refrigerated rooms and refrigerators. During the inspection of a Chinese food restaurant, officials detected completely burnt oil and food in a deplorable state, as explained by Dr. Melo. Staff from the National Directorate of Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance (DINACAVV) also located decomposing meat in several inspected supermarkets. This was added to by a bakery without a health license operating inside a supermarket, which led to the seizure and destruction of all products for sale. During the operation, DINACAVV also seized allegedly fake food handler credentials and cigarettes prohibited for sale in the country. The regional director of MINSA confirmed that officials have mechanisms to quickly identify fake credentials. The owners of the closed establishments will have 30 days to comply with all health recommendations; in addition, they must pay fines between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars.
