Municipality measures to regulate mobile eateries
The driver’s cabin should be separate from the area dedicated to selling and preparing foodstuffs for the truck and trailer, and employees are not allowed to sleep inside the truck.”
In 2016, the Omani government gave the green signal to food truck businesses, and a year later, the Muscat Municipality issued a list of health and safety requirements to regulate mobile eateries.
After getting necessary approvals from the authorities concerned, food trucks can be parked in any public place, including beaches, stadiums, and the parking lots of public parks.
The new decree added: “It is not permissible to carry out the activities of the mobile café outside the sites specified by the municipality, and the municipality has the right to revoke (cancel) the licence in case of any violation.” The regulations added that “the truck should not be parked within 200 metres of another truck”.
The ministry has also specified a list of equipment that all food trucks and mobile cafes need to have, such as sheds conforming to the standard specifications, a non-rusting preparation table, suitable ventilation and lighting, a water tank, an insect-killing device, and the owners have to be keep the area clean.
The decision said: “In the case of food poisoning, the mobile cafe will be fined OMR300, and it will remain closed until the cause of the poisoning has been investigated and removed. If the same violation is repeated, the fine shall be doubled and the licence shall be suspended for six months.”
Details regarding the source of foodstuffs should be made available and clear to customers and municipal authorities, especially in the case of meat, the decree stated. “Health requirements for the practice of barbecues are to provide proof of the source of the meat used for the barbecue, and submit it to the regulatory authorities upon request (purchase bill or voucher from slaughterhouse, or from licenced shops).”
The ministerial decree also lists punishments and fines in case of violation of any of the new rules. The fines include an amount of OMR10 in case of practicing such activity without obtaining a health card or not renewing it, a fine of OMR30 in the case of not keeping insects and rodents at bay, and to correct the violation immediately.
In the case of the spread of insects or rodents, the activity will be stopped for 10 days; an OMR100 fine would be issued in case of circulation of prohibited foodstuffs or those unfit for human consumption.