The head of the Bakeries Committee in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fayez Hamadah, said all bakeries in the region will be automated within two years.
Speaking to Al-Hayat daily, he said a committee has been set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA) to automate bread baking to ensure that workers do not handle bread with bare hands until it reaches consumers.
"A loaf of bread is supposed to weigh between 400 and 500 grams and four loafs of flat bread should be sold at SR1. Any bakery found to be selling bread under this weight will be penalized up to SR3,000," he said.
Hamadah also said after his committee came across dirty storage areas in bakeries, they recommended that all bakeries install ventilation fans for the safety of consumers. He said the committee will hold a meeting with the head of the National Committee for Bakeries at the Saudi Council of Chambers, Fahad Al-Salman, and representatives of the SFDA and municipalities to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to the automation of bakeries.
While encouraging young Saudis to accept jobs at bakeries, Hamadah said they should not feel ashamed of working as bakers and added that anyone who wants to open a bakery will find complete support from his committee and from banks that have agreed with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to fund such projects without a guarantor.
