Makkah, April 30 -- The Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has instructed Hajj organizing officers (PPIH) stationed in Saudi Arabia to tighten food safety controls by requiring sample testing of meals prepared by catering companies for pilgrims.

Safety mitigation efforts are being intensified ahead of the arrival of the first batch of Indonesian pilgrims in Mecca from Medina on Thursday.

Head of the Mecca PPIH office, Ihsan Faisal, explained that his team had mobilized the consumption unit to carry out daily quality and safety assessments covering taste, doneness, and hygiene standards.

"Every time a kitchen produces meals, it will send samples to PPIH offices for quality and taste testing," he said.

Faisal described the strict saf...