Israel’s Health Ministry issued an immediate administrative closure order on Thursday against the butcher shop “Shwik Hachi Taim” at 1 Bar Kochba Street in Haifa, saying inspection findings indicated a possible immediate danger to public health.
The order followed a June 24 inspection carried out by a district health officer, veterinary doctors, and representatives of the Haifa municipal veterinary service. Inspectors said they found severe operational, structural, and sanitary violations, and the ministry decided to stop the business from operating immediately, even before a hearing.
According to the ministry, the shop was operating in a way that did not match its business license. It allegedly carried out manufacturing activities forbidden in a butcher shop without a Health Ministry production license, including thawing meat, refreezing it, repackaging it, and grinding meat out of the customer’s view. The ministry also said the shop processed meat in ways inconsistent with its license conditions and business classification, and that veterinary certificates presented during the inspection lacked the required dispatch number.
Officials said they are also considering canceling the ministry’s approval for the business license under the Business Licensing Law. They added that similar closure orders had been issued against the shop in the past for comparable violations. The ministry urged the public to buy meat products only from licensed businesses that follow sanitation rules in order to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
