Dubai Municipality rejected 10,740 food shipments last year

Consignments found unfit for consumption after lab tests

DM rejected 10,740 food shipments last year

Iman Bastaki, Acting Director of Food Control Department in Dubai Municipality revealed that out of the 186, 345 shipments of foodstuff that came to the emirate through its ports last year 175,253 shipments were cleared after conducting lab tests whereas 10,740 shipments were rejected and 352 shipments were destroyed.

She attributed physical damage of the foodstuff, unfitness of the products proven through lab tests, lack of accompanying documents and non-compliance of foodstuff labels to the foodstuff import rules of the country as the reason for rejection.

The quantity of foodstuff exported from Dubai to different parts of the world after issuing export fitness certificates last year was 2.66 million tonnes. Out of this 741,763 tonnes were exported to the GCC countries.

Bastaki said the Municipality registers all types foodstuff electronically through a global system, which is considered to be a unique system in food control that accomplishes accurate control over the foodstuffs imported as well as produced locally in the emirate.

She said no food material can be sold until and unless it is registered through this control system and are subjected to the local food control measures, whether it is imported or locally produced.

"Hence, the foodstuff that reaches the consumer is within the approved standards and specifications. The Municipality plays a vital role in following up the foodstuff beginning from its arrival at the port to its storage and circulation," said Bastaki.

She explained that the system provides accurate and clear statistics about the type of foodstuff, results of the specimen, the hazard material level and the dates of collecting specimen.

Bastaki said the Municipality has a transparent inspection process in which the inspectors get the information from the system about the trader, shipment, code number, ingredients, additives and other things regarding the foodstuff such as the places where the product is available in the country and the warehouses.
She said the Municipality has started applying the new specifications regarding food labels and the new GCC expiration period rule that were approved by the GCC Standardization Authority and the Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority in addition to the international food control bodies.


Photos: Iman Bastaki, Foodstuff shipment inspection