Over 4,000 food outlets in Sharjah were fined for violating health and hygiene regulations since the beginning of the year.

Inspectors from the Sharjah Municipality visited 29,499 establishments including food outlets, food manufacturing companies, cafeterias and restaurants, and found that 4,213 eateries were violating health and hygiene regulations.

Some of the errant outlets were slapped with hefty fines of up to Dh10,000, while some others were shut down temporarily until they rectified the violation, said Shaikha Rasha Al Qasimi, Head of the health department and food control laboratory at the Sharjah Municipality. Some eateries were let off after being warned.