UAE strictly regulates Japanese food products

Federal and local bodies tighten control over food imports from Japan

By PMA RASHEED 

23 March 2011, The Gulf Today

No consumer food products contaminated by nuclear radiation from quake and Tsunami-hit Japan will be distributed in the UAE, assured the federal food safety watchdog.

At the federal level, the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW), on Tuesday, put into place tight control measures concerning food imports from Japan.
On the other hand, in the Emirate of Dubai, its civic body — concerned about possible radiation contamination — on Tuesday assured that no food products from Japan would be released for sale in the Emirate until lab tests confirm that they are free from contamination and suitable for human consumption.
Dr Mariam Hassan Al Shanasi, acting undersecretary at the MoEW told The Gulf Today that the ministry has undertaken necessary actions to screen foodstuffs imported from Japan.
“The labs under the ministry will conduct the necessary examinations on the Japanese food items to ensure they are safe for human consumption,” she added.
“Those foodstuffs which are contaminated will be confiscated forthwith,” indicated Dr Al Shanasi.
According to her, the country’s labs and facilities can detect radioactive material in the imported foodstuffs.
A senior official at the Dubai Municipality said that the most of the imported food items from Japan to Dubai include fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood products, beverages, soft drinks, grains and cereals, herbs, spices, coffee and tea products, chocolates, sugar and confectioneries.
He pointed out, “However, the food imports from Japan cover less than 1 per cent of the total number of shipments to Dubai. Japanese expatriates living in the emirate are the main consumers of these food products.”
“A total of 450 Japanese shipments arrived in Dubai between January and December in 2010, while the number of shipments is 175 since January to March 15 this year. The total weight of shipments from Japan was estimated at 9,000.54 tonnes last year, while it’s 2,900.83 tonnes until March 15 of this year,” disclosed the municipality.
Speaking about the scientific specifications of the possible radioactive substances, Dr Al Shanasi elaborated, “The radioactive substances that may affect the foodstuffs include Caesium-134 and Caesium-137, which can be detected in water.”
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) had said on Monday that all food items from Japan will be supplied in the market after stringent monitoring and procedures of laboratory tests.

Abu Dhabi reopens fresh local produce outlets

By PMA RASHEED 

23 Feb 2011, The Gulf Today

THE Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (ADFSC) has reopened three outlets of fresh local produce in Liwa, Al Sila and Al Muroor areas, bringing the total number of such outlets currently functional to five.

The ADFSC will reopen all 23 outlets during the current year, to further strengthen the Emirate’s agricultural sector by promoting local produce and improving national food security, according to a top official.

The UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, had established the fresh local produce stores 25 years ago aimed at selling high quality fresh food varieties at affordable prices for the residents in Abu Dhabi.

Christopher Hirst, CEO of the ADFSC indicated that the reopened outlets constitute the first phase of a comprehensive programme, comprising a wide network of 23 stores across the Emirate.

“The stores have recommenced trading after the completion of extensive maintenance work. The remaining stores are presently under renovation and will be reopened during the current year. The other two stores that are now functional are located at Al Mina and the Delma Island, the former being a temporary one,” he added.

“The reopening of the centres marked a crucial phase in the ADFSC’s efforts at enhancing the market share of local farming produce. Restoration of this service under the ADFSC will help local farmers market their produce effectively and profitably,” Hirst elaborated.

According to him, the consumers will also benefit substantially since the centres will supply locally-sourced quality produce at affordable prices,” he said.

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, director of Communication and Community Service at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), said the local products in the markets guarantee better food security. 

“Several tests carried out by our laboratories confirmed that local vegetables and fruits are on par with the best imported products in terms of quality and nutrition. Besides, they are fresher than imported products, as the time gap between production and sale is considerably less. Moreover, they have an edge over others in terms of price” he pointed out.

Earlier this month, the ADFCA had called upon all trade centres and sales outlets selling vegetables and fruits to strengthen the sale and marketing of local farm products.

Certified specialist must at food firms in Dubai

By PMA RASHEED

12 Oct 2010, The Gulf Today

Further tightening food and bio-security mechanism in Dubai, the civic authorities on Monday have mandated all food establishments in the emirate to appoint a trained and certified food safety specialist titled Person-in-Charge (PIC) at their facilities.

The new regulation to employ the person, who ensures all applied food safety policies and procedures, will come in to effect from January 2011, according to a senior official at Dubai Municipality (DM).

Khalid Mohammed Sharif, Director of Food Control Department of the DM, said that the PIC’s responsibility is to monitor food safety by supervising all sorts of food handling procedures such as preparation, storage, display or serving orders.

“The PIC can be the establishment owner or a designated person like shift leader, chef, kitchen manager, having direct authority to actively control the practices. The managerial control on food safety activities will protect public health and reduce food waste,” he added.

“Safe and hygienic practices were found to be very poor in many food establishments of the emirate. People in managerial level were either not trained well or not involved in enforcing food safety practices," noted Sharif.

“The PIC should have the capability to implement right and quick food safety related decisions. The person will be liaising with the civic inspectors or regulatory office,” he said.

“Unless there is a responsible person present in the facility, the inspectors cannot provide recommended corrective actions for the violations found during the inspections. Consumers also will be communicating with the PIC to lodge a complaint to the establishment about their food or service," he pointed out.

According to him, some food trading companies breach regulations while importing food into the country. Such violations are detected at ports, and the food import is either rejected or discarded.

“Many of such unnecessary issues could be prevented if a trader has a good understanding about the food standards and related requirements and corrects it at the country of origin," Sharif elaborated.

“The PICs will have to undergo a mandatory accredited training programme, which will be commenced in December. Different custom-made training programmes have been designed for the PICs from sectors like retail, manufacturing, catering or food trading,” Sharif noted.

“The PICs in the retail and manufacturing sectors will receive intensive training in safe food preparation, food storage, cleaning, personal hygiene, building construction, pest control and staff training,” he said.

"They will be educated on local food regulations, following food inspections and taking corrective actions when necessary; following up and responding to customers’ complaints. Lessons on food import regulations, labelling, microbiological and chemical standards will also be in store,” he added.

“The medium of instruction will be English, but the lectures will be delivered in Arabic, Malayalam and Urdu languages by the first quarter of the next year. A PIC handbook will also be published guiding them how to operate a food establishment safely,” said Sharif.

According to him, the most important part will be that of ‘self inspection’ where the PICs will be taught the inspection methods at their own work place.

143 tonnes of food items rejected in Abu Dhabi

By PMA RASHEED

11 Oct 2010, The Gulf Today

The import of about 143 tonnes of food materials has been rejected in Abu Dhabi during the current year, according to the capital’s food safety watchdog.

Sources at the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) told The Gulf Today that the food items were impounded at the border crossing points for not complying with the applied food safety standards and specifications.

Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Communication and Community Service at the ADFCA, said, “The establishments that imported the food items have been enforced to return the consignments to their countries of origin.”

“The rejection of the food materials came due to a number of violations, including non-certification for being free from pesticide residues, lack of proper licensing for import and non-adherence to other food safety regulations,” he added.

“Some food products were found contaminated with coli form bacteria, while other items didn’t have public health safety certificates from the authorities of the exporting countries. Some importers breached conditions for transporting food items,” he pointed out.

According to Al Reyaysa, this is very important step in the ADFCA’s efforts at ensuring maximum food safety to the residents of the emirate.

“The actions against the law-breakers have been taken in collaboration with other authorities concerned manning the border points,” he noted.

Looking at the food safety violations by the food service establishments in Abu Dhabi, the ADFCA sources revealed that restaurants figured on top of the complaints received by the Authority.

“The violations by the restaurants constituted 54 per cent of all the grievances during the first half of 2010, followed by cafeterias with 27 per cent, bakeries and confectionaries with 15 per cent and caterers with 4 per cent,” read an AFDCA statement issued to The Gulf Today.

According to it, the main unit at the ADFCA for supplies conducted a study of all the complaints it received in the first half of the year and continued the efforts during the second half as well.

“In comparison to the first half of the year, complaints about insects rose from 19 per cent to 32 per cent in the second half. This is attributable to not using approved companies for insecticide and the onset of summer. Complaints about bad hygienic conditions dropped in the second half, from 19 per cent to 8 per cent,” elaborated the statement.

“Complaints about unhealthy practices also dropped from 21 per cent in the first half to 13 per cent in the second. A number of factors could explain these changes, including intensified inspections on food outlets, proper redress of the grievances received in the first half and other measures from the ADFCA,” it added.

(Pic used for illustrative purpose only)

Inspection intensified at food outlets before Eid

By PMA RASHEED 

The Gulf Today, 9 Sept 2010

ON the advent of Eid Al Fitr, the civic authorities in Dubai have intensified surveillance of various food production and selling establishments across the emirate.

Inspection visits are being carried out at the food production units and retail or wholesale outlets of all kinds of food products to ensure their safety for human consumption during the Eid celebration days, said a senior DM official.

The inspections concentrate on the establishments trading in food products, especially during the month of Ramadan, as there is increased demand for food during the Eid celebrations.

Sultan Ali Tahir, head of the animal products control section at the food control department of the DM, said, "The monitoring procedures are being conducted at establishments of confectionery, bakery and dairy products as well as fruits and vegetable markets, and supermarkets."

According to him, the inspection campaign will make sure the foods meet the health safety requirements of the Municipality.

"The inspectors are focusing on the types of food establishments, sweets and chocolate factories that supply the products in the Dubai emirate, which are having higher demands during the Eid time. The fruits and vegetables market and supermarkets also witness increased influx of consumers before the Eid," elaborated Tahir.

"Inspections at factories of bread, pastry and desserts is significant, as the demand for such products stand at the highest during the Eid holidays. Such items can easily be affected with fungus and their bulk production may cause them to rot if they are [stored unsafely]," he added.

"The management of such establishments should reduce the factors that lead to contamination of the food products due to fungus that spread in the air and their surfaces," he said.

"They should ensure that the foodstuff reach the consumer intact as it is the people's right to expect that the food they eat is safe and suitable for consumption," he added.

Tahir said that the safety of storage capacity, proper cleaning and safe transportation of the foods are the main conditions to be adhered by the manufactures of items to ensure the safety of the consumers' health.

"The dairy products are considered more vulnerable to damage if they are not stored with safe methods and in proper temperature, as the higher humidity and temperature can cause multiplication of microbes," he added.

"The inspection team monitor several offences including non-compliance with the hygiene rules, and validity of the workers health cards," he noted.

"Food-borne diseases and the damage results from it must be upsetting, but it may be fatal too. There are also many other outcomes that may result from eating unhealthy food or food that is unfit for consumption," he pointed out.

"Availability of prohibited food items or foods with harmful ingredients are also being checked by the inspectors. Such foods will be confiscated and destroyed immediately," he pointed out.

"Poor storage or display of the foodstuff, on which the sunlight falls directly or wrong practices by the workers in handling the food are also punishable offences," said Tahir.

The Ramadan food inspection campaign of the DM had shown that 4 per cent of food establishments in Dubai are non-compliant. At least 161 fines were issued to erring food establishments, and notices were issued to 78 firms that time.
(Pic used for illustrative purpose)

Dubai Municipality cracks whip on erring food firms

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 31 Aug 2010

A range of fines have been imposed on 161 errant food establishments in various parts of Dubai by the civic body’s food safety inspectors during a recent food inspection drive.

The officers at the food control department of Dubai Municipality (DM) have also issued warnings to at least 78 food traders for violating food safety conditions, according to a senior DM official.

However, Sultan Ali Al Tahir, acting head of the Product Control Section at the DM, said that 94 per cent of the food traders were found to be complying with the hygiene requirements set out by the municipality, during the inspection visits carried out at 239 establishments.

“In the performance-based assessment, there were 57 establishments with “very good” status and 171 were ranked “good”. Only eight weak food outlets, four per cent of the total inspected, earned an average rating during the campaign,” he elaborated.

According to Tahir, the positive results show the achievement of the Municipality’s goal of ensuring health and food safety in the Emirate.

“The intensive monitoring of the foodstuff trading establishments focused on ensuring that the food products are safe and suitable for consumption,” he said.

“The inspection team also imposed fines on 35 violating foodstuff warehouses and issued 56 notices when they conducted 91 visits to such establishments. A total of 6 per cent of food warehouses were found to be not adhering to hygiene regulations, while 94 per cent have obtained good assessment rates,” detailed the product monitoring chief.

“The most common irregularities at the warehouses were lack of proper cleanliness, improper storage methods and capacity, accumulation of excess items, and less ventilation and light, and lack of health cards or expiry of the workers,” he said.

According to Tahir, the warehouses are the primary branch of the food establishments, and food safety in these establishments will have impact on most of the segments of society.

“Food-borne diseases and the damage resulted from it must be upsetting, but it may be fatal too. There are also many other outcomes that may result from eating unhealthy food that is unfit for consumption,” he pointed out.

“The food safety campaign also inspected cooperative stores and hypermarkets to ascertain their compliance with the hygiene requirements, focusing on products that are in great demand during the holy month,” said Tahir.

“The extent of their commitment to the conditions of storage, cleaning and application of personnel commitment to these requirements were checked,” he added.

“The DM had been working on the inspection procedures two weeks before the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, by setting up a special task force that had a face-to-face session with numerous food traders. The campaign lasted for two weeks during the Ramadan,” elaborated Tahir.
(Photo used for illustrative purpose)

11,000 food samples go under Municipality scanner in H1

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 19 Aug 2010

THE food and environment laboratory in Dubai has carried out analysis on 10,989 samples of food items during the first half of the current year, according to the statistics revealed by sources at Dubai Municipality (DM).

The specialist lab under the department of the Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL) had collected these number of food samples to confirm their suitability for human consumption.

According to the half-yearly report of the lab, about 7,391 food samples have been received for quality control and food safety, while 333 food samples were taken for review and study purposes.

“At least 1,292 food samples were received from private sector, while it’s 1,152 samples from the civic departments. The lab also collected 821 environmental samples from the private sector,” said the report.

It disclosed that the lab also conducted 77,373 chemical, radiological and microbiological tests on food and environmental samples during the six-month period of 2010. Among them, 64,156 were tests on food samples and 13,217 were tests on environmental samples.

“At least 123 samples also have been analysed at the lab for environmental monitoring purpose, while 600 tests were conducted on wastewater from industrial waste as well as sea water samples,” it elaborated.

A spokesperson of the Municipality said that a series of research and development studies have been carried out by the food and environment lab section aimed at increasing the efficiency of the labs and meeting the requirements of the beneficiaries.

“So far, 13 developmental studies have been conducted in regard to chemical analysis, while three other researches have been completed in the field of environment,” he added.

According to him, the food and environment lab will examine the proportion of alcohol in samples of chocolate in coordination with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation (EAS).

“The section has also activated its e-services and the customers have been trained to use the new system,” noted the official.

The DCL has been the European Commission’s reference lab in the UAE to examine samples of camel milk imported into the European countries in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW).

(Photo used for illustrative purpose)

19,329 kg of rotten food confiscated in Dubai

By PMA RASHEED

TheGulf Today, 25 July 2010

A total of 19,329 kilogrammes of contaminated fresh food items including fish, meat and fruit items were confiscated by the civic body from the Dubai market during the past 3 months, revealed a Dubai Municipality (DM) official.

Sultan Ali Tahir, head of products monitoring section at DM, said 544,947 fines and warnings have been issued to the violating fresh food establishments, as the DM conducted 2,619 inspection visits during the period.

“The massive amount of rotten fish, meat and vegetables were offered for sale at the stalls at Deira, Al Shindagha and Karama fish markets, retail and wholesale shops at the Al Aweer central vegetables and fruits market, and other storage facilities and food manufacturing units,” he elaborated.

“All the food items found unsafe for human consumption were immediately destroyed by the civic body’s food control department after receiving necessary regulatory measures on the violators,” he added.

Tahir said that the civic body also issued health certificates to about 1,338 fish vendors during the past three months, as the workers’ health cards were a significant part of the civic inspection drive.

According to him, hefty fines were issued on those who were displaying the rotten fish and meat, and spoilt vegetables and fruits for sale.

“The municipal food officers are carrying out a series of inspection visits at various food stores, supermarkets, meat and fish shops to ensure adherence to the civic requirements on food safety and hygienic practices at such outlets,” he noted.

Tahir said the inspection campaign has been intensified since the beginning of the summer in order to get rid of rotten foodstuff, due to the soaring temperatures which may contaminate fresh items if not stored with precautionary measures.

“During the period, the DM has followed up at least 120 complaints from the public on damaged or rotten foods that may harm the consumers’ health. Meanwhile, the number of complaints in the same period last year was 142,” he added.

“Proper maintenance of the food shops, like replacement of old equipment, shelves and platforms were also focused on during the campaign. Cleanliness of dried fish stalls and packaging processes were also monitored to prevent access and the proliferation of insects,” he elaborated.

20% of food imports at Dubai port dumped

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 12 July 2010 

Authorities have rejected 20 per cent of the total 99,019 foodstuff shipments that arrived at the port of Dubai during the past six months.

The food control department of Dubai Municipality (DM) has dumped large quantities of spoilt food items ranging from dairy products, frozen meats, marine products, chocolate, biscuits, candies, coffee products and food additives, according to a senior civic official.

Iman Ali Al Bastaki, Head of the Food Trade Unit at the DM, said that 93,879 food shipments were released after procedures of public health safety monitoring, while 7,840 shipments were rejected due to non-compliance with the municipal condition on food safety.

“Among the rejected shipments of foods, 386 were meant for re-export purpose. Food items of at least 647 shipments have been destroyed as the items were spoilt and damaged,” she added.

“The food shipments were rejected, as the importers didn’t adhere to the regulations on public health safety, and some others violated food labeling laws, while others imported the foods without a food trade license,” pointed out Al Bastaki.

“The DM has completed registration of more than 160 food items through an integrated online system for control of food imports. No unregistered food items are allowed to sell in the Emirate. The Municipality has started applying the standard new law on food labeling,” she noted.

According to her, the food consignments are not accepted if unlicensed companies practise food trading activities by importing food items from other countries. The DM also rejects shipments that violate the food label regulations approved by the competent authorities or the rules of import.

“Foodstuff importing companies should have facilities like storerooms that comply with the civic bodies rules and regulations regarding the safety of public health. The food control body at DM plays a significant role in controlling the entire foodstuffs imported in the emirate all around the year,” she elaborated. 

Bastaki said, “The foodstuff imported for selling in the emirate should not contain harmful colours which are banned due to their adverse effects on human health. All the food items are made available to consumers after undergoing international standard quality control specifications. Unchecked items are not traded in the country.”

She pointed out, “The municipality registers all types of imported food items using an advanced global electronic system used all over the world. The system ensures safety of public health as stringent measures have been applied for permission of sales of the imported food items inside the UAE. Similar procedures are applied on food items produced locally.”

“Regulations as per the latest food quality verification standards have been applied by the DM. Clauses regarding the food label and expiry date information have to be included as per the new law approved by the Gulf Standards Authority, as well as the laws outlined by the authorities concerned in the UAE,” she said.

7% food godowns in Dubai unsafe

BY PMA RASHEED
The Gulf Today, 9 June 2010

About 7 per cent of the total foodstuff warehouses in Dubai have been found to be not adhering to the public health safety and hygiene regulations of Dubai Municipality (DM).

It was revealed after an inspection drive at mass food godowns of the emirate, carried out recently by the civic body to prevent outbreaks of food poisoning cases during the summer, a senior DM official said.

Sultan Al Tahir, the head of Product Control Section in the Food Control Department of the DM, said the campaign covered 257 warehouses of dry, chilled and frozen food items.

“At least 144 foodstuff establishments have been fined for violations, and warned to immediately adhere to the DM’s conditions and modify their status,” he added.

“Among the total inspected warehouses, 18 have received weak assessment marks for poor storage of foods. Most common violations in such premises were regarding preservation of the food items without proper ventilation,” pointed out Tahir.

According to him, each type of food should be stored with appropriate safety measures and suitable temperature to protect them from contamination, as negligence during high humidity and temperature may cause the growth and reproduction of microbes.

“Effective control of the temperature level at the warehouses will reduce the microbes preventing them from multiplying and destroying the foodstuffs,,” explained Tahir.

He said that efficiency of refrigeration and freezing equipment, and availability of alternative modes in case of breakdowns at the warehouses were also monitored.

“The refrigeration units should work at a temperature of 4°C or less, and freezing units at minus 18°C or less. While, the dry food items should be kept at 21°C or less temperature,” he elaborated.

“The health and hygiene of the warehouse workers, validity of the foodstuff, manipulation or fraudulence were also subjected to the inspections,” said Tahir.

59 errant eateries shut down in Dubai

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 6 June 2010

Fifty nine restaurants, cafeterias and other food outlets have been temporarily closed down in Dubai for violation of civic regulations, as food inspectors at Dubai Municipality (DM) have carried out as many as 15,200 inspection visits in the first half of the current year.

The overall inspections this year so far have reached 31 312, including routine and follow-up visits, according to a senior DM official.

Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Ali, Head of Food Inspection at the DM said, numerous visits by a team of 10 inspectors have been carried out in order to survey the accurate number of food service establishments currently operational in each region of the emirate, and verify they are adhering to the required municipal conditions.

“Among the violations, the most common irregularity was lack of health cards for workers at the food establishments. Personal hygiene of the employees, including dirty dressing and appearance, was also subjected to the offenses,” he added.

“Punitive actions have been imposed by the inspections, in cases of unhygienic atmosphere, use of rotten, contaminated and expired food items and even presence of insects and rodents in some food outlets,” pointed out Al Ali.

“The breaches, causing risks to the public health safety, also included improper conservation of cooked dishes and storing them in places where the food may be contaminated or spoiled,” he said.

According to him, the civic body received 1,224 complaints from customers about unhygienic situations at many restaurants and cafeterias in the emirate.

He noted, “The food inspection department of the Municipality has planned to strengthen its strategies for ensuring the adherence of food and public health safety measures by the food service establishments in the emirate.”

“As the hot weather conditions have already taken hold, the vigilance by the food safety officials has been tightened to avoid risks of food poisoning cases that may be increased due to the storage of foodstuff in high temperatures,” Al Ali said.

“The food safety chiefs in all emirates have called for increased vigilance on food poisoning outbreaks, as well as conducting educational campaigns for residents to raise awareness about the dangers of poor food storage and transportation,” he added.

Fat-free flavored Trim milk banned in UAE

BY PMA RASHEED

May 18 2010, The Gulf Today

The use, import and distribution of non-fat Trim milk flavoured with mint and lemon has been banned in the UAE by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) on Monday.

The ban of the fat-free or milk brand, which is marketed in the UAE as a dairy product which can burn the body’s fat or lose weight, comes as part of a strategy to ensure essential food safety measures to the residents, says senior MOEW official.

The resolution has been taken by the ministry's food safety committee in tandem with competent authorities of the nation for implementation of the new conditions.

Obeid Al Matrouchi, Acting Director General at the MOEW, said the ban has been implemented in an administrative decision by the ministry, as the manufacturer of the milk product was found to trading it without obtaining a license from the concerned authorities.

“The food control authority in Abu Dhabi and Municipalities in all seven emirates have been directed by the ministry to withdraw all existing packages of the mint and lemon flavoured dairy product from the markets across the UAE,” he added.

According to him, the ban will continue until the manufacturer adheres to the regulations in this regard, and corrects the violations by removing the reasons behind the ban.

“After clearing it of the ban, the milk producer will be permitted to import the particular product and make it available across the UAE markets. The public can rely on the product only after it proves to be strictly following country's food safety regulations," he added.

An MOEW statement read that the product claims itself to be therapeutic with messages like the milk help consumers to maintain their body fitness getting rid of excess fat and weight. It’s advertised as helping to build muscle and strengthen the bones.

Al Matrouchi said that the director general of the MOEW highlighted the significance of standardisation of food safety measures and ensuring public safety by applying the conditions across the country.

“The environment ministry will coordinate between the local authorities in the country to ensure the safety and quality of traded food items in the local markets,” he added.

Skim milk is whole milk from dairy cows that has most or all of it’s fat removed, according to a food quality controller working in Dubai.

“Many research studies, mostly funded by the dairy industry, have over the past few years has suggested that including skim milk or fat-free milk into diet can help people lose weight,” she said.

17 food outlets shut down in capital for violations

BY PMA RASHEED

12 May 2010, The Gulf Today

Seventeen food outlets have been shut down by the authorities in Abu Dhabi during the current year for consistent non-compliance with food safety rules and regulations posing risks to public health.

The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has ordered closure of the food service establishments in different parts of the emirate for repeatedly flouting the rules, even after warnings and fines were imposed on them.

"Of the 17 closures, 15 are in the city of Abu Dhabi and the rest in Al Gharbiya of the Western region," according to a senior ADFCA official.

"The outlets shut down in the city included eight restaurants, two refreshments outlets, two cafeterias, one supermarket, one grocery and one foodstuff firm, while the Western region saw the closure of one cafeteria and a foodstuff establishment," he disclosed.

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, PR and Communication Director at the ADFCA, said that Hatem Iranian Restaurant at Marina Mall was the last to face closure orders on May 6. Qasr Al Ain Cafeteria at Ghayathi in the Western region was closed in the month of January.

"The same outlet had been ordered to close last year too, and resumed its operation after undergoing penal actions, but in a short period of time inspectors found it repeating the food safety violations. The second food outlet to face closure orders in January was Saif Refreshments at Al Shamikha area," he explained.

Reyaysa said three restaurants, Al Eqab Restaurant and Hadeeqat Al Wahda Restaurant on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Road and Al Kasir Restaurant on the Abu Dhabi Corniche Road, were shut down in February.

"Falcom Tib Supermarket and Najm Shiraz Grocery at Musaffa Industrial Area, Burj Al Arab Restaurant at Umm Nar area, Rabeea Restaurant on Zayed 1 Road and Farha Restaruant at Musaffah Economic Zone are the outlets that downed shutters in March," he added.

"The food establishments shut down in the month of April included Ramla Trading Company at Musaffah Economic Zone, National Company for Tourism and Hotels in Al Ruwais in the Western Region, Zahrat Al Samha Cafeteria at Al Samha, Dar Al Khair Refreshments at Umm Al Nar, Maharat Al Khaleej Cafeteria at Al Shamikha and Wahat Madina Al Marah Restaurant at Marina Mall," he detailed.

Reyaysa said, "The reasons for the closure of these outlets vary from one to another and include unhygienic practices, presence of insects and cockroaches in the kitchen, lack of proper drainage system, mixing different food items in the refrigerator such as meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, lack of proper garbage disposal, not possessing necessary papers from the authorities and so on."

According to Reyaysa, the closure of a food outlet is always preceded by repeated warnings, fines and awareness drives.

"When all those efforts fail, we are left with no other option but to order the closure of the outlet that functions in utter disregard for public health and the law of the land. The health and safety of the consumer is the red-line that should not be crossed in any circumstance," he noted.

"Each of these violations is fraught with potential danger to the health of the consumers. Once the closed outlets make amends and rectify the shortcomings, the reopening of the outlets can be considered," said Reyaysa.

Dubai housewives to get food safety lessons

Through the campaign, housewives and domestic servants will be educated on practicing proper food safety measures and effective waste management solutions.

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 6 April 2010

Dubai housewives, as well as domestic servants, will get food safety and waste management lessons from the civic body of the emirate.  And the message, for being vigilant in health issues and alert in matters of the environment, spreads to various groups and segments of the society, through “Um Omar", as part of a project launched by Dubai Municipality (DM) on Monday.

Strategies of the civic body will reach out to these groups through various channels, contributing to the delivery of the awareness message successfully with the recipients, according to a senior DM official.

Farhan Hassan Al Marzouqi, Head of Corporate Marketing and Exhibitions Section at the Municipality, said, “Through the campaign, housewives and domestic servants will be educated on practicing proper food safety measures and effective waste management solutions.”

“They will be given scientific lesson about the best health practices in dealing with food and household waste. The aim of the programme is to qualify and train the people in the helpers' category and housewives,” he added.

Al Marzouqi explained, “The Municipality’s team of healthcare and social service will train the housewives and domestic servants on the art of cooking, as it is the most appropriate place to bring the message of the health awareness message. The education or information provided to the particular group will contribute to raising the level of overall awareness of the community.”

“A group of housewives and domestic servants have already been given lectures on how to deal with various food items scientifically and reduce the domestic waste in favour of the sustainability of the environment,” he noted.

“They were also distributed publications in various languages to educate them on safe practices in handling with food, besides it a range of gifts were also provided for them,” he said.

“The campaign also sought to include courses on cooking on the basis of safe handling of food through the proper hygienic practices in food safety and throwing household waste,” pointed out Al Marzouqi.

He opined that updating the knowledge of housewives on the proper hygienic practices in food handling is highly significant.

Earlier, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Municipality had said that the civic body is drafting strategic plans for highest standards of food safety practices this year.

"The food-borne diseases investigation and surveillance system of the civic body is being empowered with innovative programmes focusing on specific industries such as dairy, meat and poultry, water, and food service industry," he added.

"The food safety measures in the region will be further boosted with the new inspection systems into food poisoning incidences, stricter legislations education on food safety culture," said Lootah.

Drinking water producers warned

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 26 March 2010

The drinking water producers should compulsorily put new caps at the time of refilling the water, on all bottles with dates of production and expiry printed on them, specified Dubai Municipality (DM).

The caps should also be covered with another plastic wrapping that can be removed by the consumer when he wanted to open the bottle, said a senior DM member. 

Khalid Mohammed Sharif, Director of Food Control Department at the DM, said, "The Municipality will make sure that these companies comply with packaging requirements for safe drinking water as it is necessary for all the water bottles to carry names and addresses of the company, which can be seen and read by consumers." 

"The drinking water producers in Dubai will be subject to strict monitoring of hygiene standards drafted by the civic authorities. Inspectors at the DM's food control department will strengthen their regular inspection campaigns at the factories of drinking water companies to make sure that they comply with the public health safety regulations and took samples for laboratory tests," noted Sharif. 

According to him, a comprehensive guide to cleaning water tanks in Dubai has been developed by the civic body. 

"This is the first step as listed among the civic body's significant strategic priorities as drafted in the Local Order 11/2003, which has been applied to all food establishments and factories in the Emirate," he noted.

He was speaking on the occasion of the World Water Day on Thursday, in which the Municipality launched a campaign to clean drinking water tanks and water coolers across the Emirate. 

Shariff urged the participation of the public and private sectors in maintaining cleanliness of the tanks at its building by conducting periodic checking to make sure it was safe, structurally and hygienically. 

"The DM's food control department will maintain the safety of drinking water by approving cleaning companies that comply with the conditions to help in cleaning and taking samples for examination, in addition to holding various events such as exhibitions, distributing brochures and answering queries from the public," he added. 

"The campaign aims to increase public awareness by focusing on the importance of water and the need to protect its sources and preserve the safety of drinking water," he noted. 

He also called for taking samples to the competent authorities of the Municipality for inspection. 

"The campaign focuses on three aspects of the cleanliness of water tanks, domestic water coolers, and public water vending places. The initiative will raise awareness on the significance of preserving the safety of water through cleaning of the tanks periodically, thus complying with the required hygienic conditions," explained Sharif.

According to Sharif, the consumer has a significant role as he should know the requirements that must be met regarding these tanks and coolers of drinking water and follow correct methods of conservation and storage.

GPS to support food inspection in Dubai

BY PMA RASHEED

17 March 2010, The Gulf Today

The Dubai government is currently in the process of installing GPS (Global Positioning System) devices at all kinds of food service establishments in the Emirate in order to support the municipal food inspection procedures.

The revolutionary step in the food safety inspection system comes in light of a more than expected proliferation of foodstuff establishments, bio-diversity of cultures and dietary habits.

The GPS technology will further facilitate the inspection processes to locate erring restaurants, eateries and other catering service providers, according to a senior official at Dubai Municipality (DM).

The civic body has already completed installing GPS devices in more than 1,000 food servicing establishments in different part of the Emirate, said Adnan Al Jallaf, Head of Animal Products Control Section at the Municipality.

"Stores, butcheries, supermarkets, other shops selling fish and meat, as well as food factories and processing units are included in the food establishments where the GPS devices have been installed," he added.

"The municipal survey to install the positioning system will aim at involving all establishments before the end of the year. Approximately 10 per cent of the total food establishments operating in the Emirate are food factories," pointed out Al Jallaf.

According to him, Dubai has become the first food regulatory body in the Arab world to employ the modern technology to empower inspection strategies.

"Adoption of the system will ensure full coverage of all food establishments in the emirate, in terms of periodic inspection because it contributes to the adaptation to different circumstances and constraints through which the inspection process will go through," explained Al Jallaf.

He said the GPS advantage will help the municipality to cover any area in the event of the absence or resignation of the inspector in that particular area by the other inspectors.

"It also will reduce the waste of time and fuel consumed in the process of searching for establishments," he noted.

"The GPS devices also offer the possibility of visiting an establishment by the section heads and department director without any inspectors accompanying them," he added.

Al Jallaf noted that the GPS would assist the section heads to review the health status directly. It would also ensure that response communications are faster at the emirate level.

The methods of food inspection system in Dubai are currently being revamped, foreseeing the future challenges and external factors associated with the increasing population in the Emirate.

The Municipality is imparting intensive training to inspectors as part of a uniform approach in dealing with irregularities and to determine the impact on the safety of the final product.

Prohibited dish lands restaurant in soup

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 5 March 2010

A restaurant in Dubai has been penalised by the civic body for preparing and offering pork and liquor without obtaining a permit from the competent authorities.

A number of other food establishments in various locations of the Emirate also have been caught for using raw materials that were well past their shelf life in the preparation of meals.

The penalties included a fine of over Dhs.30,000 and closure of the outlet for a one-month period, according to a senior official at the Dubai Municipality (DM).

Ahmed AbdulRahman Al Ali, Head of Food Inspection Section at the DM, said that a range of other food service-related violations, such as food labelling issues also, have been registered by the municipal inspectors.

"The food inspection section has conducted 4,835 field visits between Jan.1 and Feb.25. The DM has immediately imposed the penalties prescribed by the regulations of the Local Order No.11/2003," he added.

According to him, the usage of expired food items for cooking dishes at restaurants or catering outlets will invite stringent penal actions, as it poses serious threats to the public health.

Al Ali noted that the civic body has prohibited use of meat and other food items that are contrary to the provisions of Islamic law. To do so, the food service providers should comply with special regulations and obtain special permission from the official authorities of the Emirate.

"The consumers are cheated and their health comes under risk as they unknowingly eat dishes comprising ingredients that are past their shelf life. Displaying or showcasing expired foodstuff is also punishable," he added.

"The food inspection tours have been entered in the general system and fines of the DM's inspection section. The fines are implemented in collaboration with the Dubai Department of Economic Development," he said.

"However, 55 food establishments were found applying self-regulated procedures with significant improvements in their technical and hygienic standards, and reducing the rate of violations," explained Al Ali.

The methods of food inspection system in Dubai are currently being changed, foreseeing the future challenges and external factors associated with the increasing population in the Emirate.

According to the new system, all the foodstuff establishments in the Emirate are required to apply a self-identified food control system and adopt a risk management system, as per the unified food safety mechanism under the new law to be implemented by the year-end.

"More number of private laboratories will be permitted in the Emirate to activate the role of the private sector in the analysis of samples and develop a system to investigate diseases transmitted through food in collaboration with strategic partners," the Head of Municipality's Food Inspection Unit had said at the recently held Dubai International Food Safety Conference.

"A pilot study on 37 foodstuff establishments has been completed by the civic body, classifying such enterprises as D or E in order to raise their technical and health standards, curb the rate of food safety violations and stop high-risk violations," explained Al Ali.

According to him, the revolutionary shift in the food safety inspection system is inspired by unexpected increase of foodstuff establishments, bio-diversity of cultures and dietary habits.

According to him, Dubai Municipality is imparting intensive training to inspectors as part of a uniform approach in dealing with irregularities and to determine the impact on the safety of the final product.

"The new food inspection system will be equipped with innovative technologies, transparency and risk analysis and identification of risk from farm to table. It's being worked out by using the programme of inspection and fines," he noted.

"All the measures are implemented through the inputs to the system and classification of activities according to the degree of risks involved, labeled as low, medium and high categories of risk," added Al Ali.