Tea shop closed by MFDA after live goat found in toilet

The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has shut down a number of well-known Male’ restaurants and tea shops for hygiene breaches.

One famous tea shop on Majeedhee Magu, ‘Faseyha Point’, was closed after inspectors found a live goat tied up inside the teashop’s toilet.

MFDA said the tea shop’s hygiene condition was very poor.

Well known restaurants West Park and Raaveriya in Maafannu have also been closed in the MFDA’s hygiene crackdown, after both failed to meet the authority’s standards.

Media Coordinator of MFDA Jameela Mohamed told Minivan News that the authority shut down West Park because cats were roaming around in the service area.

‘’The restaurant’s kitchen door is always open and cats will enter the kitchen,’’ she said.

Jameela said the Raaveriya restaurant had house flies in the kitchen and lizards in their storeroom.

‘’So far we have checked 82 places and eight have been shutdown,’’ Jameela said.

Both Raaveriya Restaurant and West Park are often used as caters for celebrating wedding parties, birthdays and other such events.

Manager of West Park, Abdulla Gadhir, told newspaper Haveeru that cats do not enter the kitchen area of the restaurant.

He told the paper that there were two cats that lived in the fishing area right next to the restaurant.

Manager of Raaveriya, Ahmed Shareef told the paper that the restaurant sprayed insecticide weekly to terminate houseflies and other insects.

Director General of MFDA Shareefa Adam recently told Minivan News that any premises that were shut down could reapply to open again once they had corrected issues raised with their business.

Shareefa said the MFDA were using “basic” minimum hygiene standards such as cleanliness and preventing foreign materials from getting into food when inspecting the food outlets.

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13 thoughts on “Tea shop closed by MFDA after live goat found in toilet”

  1. Apparently this specific 'cafe' known by many locals as 'aiy balhey' has a proprietary dish called 'mas buri riha' (a spicy fish curry).... I wonder what the secret recipe was... one of my fb friends think the goat is the holder of the super secret recipe... 😀

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  2. I wonder if they charge for the toilet room with the goat by the hour?

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  3. When male Roods will clean ??? All the seekness having Maldives children a suffering coz of derthy Roods I hope mfda will look to male Roods also not only restaurant or coffee shops !!!

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  4. Why not keep a goat and pets everywhere. People are laughing at the food outlet but if this happens in a civilized country, the food regulator (MFDA) would be taken to court by the consumer groups.

    This is a failure of the food regulator at mammoth scale and the responsible people should be held accountable.

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  5. It is quite strange how places obviously belonging to members of the ruling party are being "shut down" for non-compliance and publicized in the media.

    Examples - West Park (Lolly Jabir), the former Mr. Chico's (Seafood Musthafa), Market Hotel (South Thowfeeq), Aibalhey's etc.

    Wonder why?....Sorry if I seem a bit catch-22 about this but when it comes to money, no party on this earth would willingly cause economic harm to their financiers and well-wishers.

    How about the MFDA publicize some of the requirements that these establishments need to meet before opening up? Also, the minimum levels of hygiene expected of an eaterie? Its hard to see any proper follow-up being done by the media or the concerned public if all us are left in the dark about what exactly constitutes a properly kept kitchen and decent standards of hygiene.

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  6. "How about the MFDA publicize some of the requirements that these establishments need to meet before opening up?"

    Because up until now there has been no real "Code of Conduct" for the basic food hygiene standards in the Maldives. The only reason the hotels and resorts conform to some sort of standard is because they are mostly driven either by their corporate offices or travel agencies or in most cases both.

    There are plenty of companies in the Maldives that can train and guide caterers to the basic standards, but up until now the MFDA have not enforced any real compliance. Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, the MFDA went the wrong way with these inspections and closures. They should have made a public program highlighting the need for the standards and how the companies can work towards these standards. If after some period, the companies still do not follow the code, then they deserve to be shut down.

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  7. MFDA shouold be checking all food and beverage cafes and outlets regularly..not just once in a year o so..most of the restaurants here in Male are pretty expensive and I wonder the hygiene standards are being met for the price that we pay.I urge the Authorities and to the government to strictly check and follow up with all the caterers for the maintenance of the highest hygiene standard and come up with new standards and codes that are being followed around the world.MFDA has been doing their work and has to do more, not only inspecting these places but also to see to routinely check the hygiene standard of the employees and their knowledge on hygiene as well..

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  8. MFDA should impose strict rules as it happens in other countries. All food service, processing and storage facilities must have an official document evey month to show that procedures against pests are undertaken.
    Unannounced site inspections and should any outlet fails the set standards, he wold be fined immediately.
    In addition inspection should not target only flies, rats and cockroaches. We get sick because of human hygiene and since most restaurants and cafe have 80% foreign staff whose hygiene issue is a question, its important staff, and staff living facilities be checked.

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  9. I believe that I saw cats have always entered in the garden at West Park. But why did Manager of West Park said cats do not enter the kitchen area of the restaurant.

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  10. Hahahaha sure,was the goat running away from a brothel in the Maldives..knowing how well the Maldivian men prefer goats this is not surprising! Absolutely hilarious and filthy country this ,it's a total shame on earth,this so called paradise(LOL)on earth!

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