Saud Al-Hetairshi, director of the Department of Slaughterhouses in the Makkah Mayoralty, said over the past three months his department’s inspectors have confiscated over 2.5 tons of rotten meat.

For Ramadan, the department has taken all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of any infectious or epidemic diseases when a huge number of sheep and cattle are slaughtered.

Slaughterhouses have been provided with more skilled workers to deal with the huge demand of sheep and cattle in Ramadan.

“We’ve started carrying out intensive inspections of butcher shops and meat markets to make sure that meat is free from any diseases.

Veterinary examinations of slaughtered animals have been intensified as well,” said Al-Hetairshi while calling on citizens to report anyone who slaughters animals outside the city’s designated slaughterhouses by calling 537-9123.