The Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality is currently using GPS devices to find locations of food establishments during its food inspection programmes. With this Dubai Municipality has become the first food regulatory body in the Arab world to employ this technology for the benefit of daily inspections.

Adnan Al Jallaf, Head of Animal Products Control Section said that the section has so far completed locating more than 1,000 food establishments in the emirate using GPS devices.

"These establishments include stores, butcheries, supermarkets, shops selling fish, as well as food factories, which is approximately 10% of the total food establishments," he said, noting that the survey will continue to involve all establishments before the end of the year.

He said that the adoption of this system will ensure full coverage of all food establishments in the emirate in terms of periodic inspection because it contributes to the adaptation to different circumstances and constraints through which the inspection process will go through.

"The advantage is that we can cover any area in the event of the absence or resignation of the inspector of that area by the other inspectors, in addition to reducing the waste of time and fuel consumed in the process of searching for establishments," said Al Jallaf.

The devices also offer the possibility of visiting an establishment by the heads of sections or the Director of the Department without any inspectors accompanying them. This will ensure that they can review the health status directly, and would also ensure that response communications are faster at the emirate level.