Arcsa food safety enforcement in Ecuador

Ecuador’s National Agency of Regulation, Control and Sanitary Surveillance (Arcsa) has conducted several closures of food establishments due to severe hygiene and sanitation violations.

In late July, Arcsa closed a restaurant in Pomasqui, Quito, following the discovery of live and dead cockroaches and extreme unhygienic conditions. Simultaneously, a pastry-production plant north of Guayaquil was shut down after inspectors found rodent feces, mold, contaminated water, and improperly stored raw materials, which the agency stated posed an “immediate risk to consumer health.”

In August, enforcement expanded to Azogues, where a snack and potato chip processing plant was closed. Inspectors reported rodent droppings in production and storage areas, inadequate cleaning, and improper wastewater management. Notably, the facility was found using a large potato as an improvised plug in a pigmentation machine to prevent water leakage. Eufrasia Fajardo, Arcsa's Zonal 6 Coordinator, stated that the facility must implement proper maintenance and cleaning practices before it can resume operations.

Later in August, Arcsa temporarily closed an unauthorized sausage factory in Monte Sinaí, Guayaquil. The facility, which operated out of a residence, lacked required sanitary permits. Inspectors reported finding cockroaches, blood, meat, and fat residues on floors and equipment, along with corroded refrigeration units and inadequate ventilation.

On August 24, Arcsa closed a seafood restaurant in southern Guayaquil after discovering rodent droppings on tables and counters, as well as cockroaches and flies landing on shellfish. Inspectors also found a cat inside the food preparation area and noted that raw fish was being stored alongside vegetables in a dirty refrigerator without proper refrigeration.