UAE food safety rating rises to 98% in 3 years

Dubai / WAM

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, issued a press statement on the occasion of the GCC Food Safety Day, marked annually on April 15 by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as a special day to shed light on food safety issues and to raise public awareness about the importance of food safety. This inauguration year’s celebrations is themed: ‘Food Safety is the Responsibility of All.’ Dr Al Zeyoudi noted that the food safety rating in the UAE has increased in the last three years to reach 98% in 2016.
“The UAE has given the food safety issue much attention and has over the past years strengthened its legislative and institutional frameworks related to food safety,” he said, indicating that it has developed integrated and effective control systems on food products, both domestic and imported, including the development of product testing laboratories and tightening food safety and control measures on food establishments and workers to ensure the highest level of food safety in the country,” he said.
“The changing dietary habits in many countries over the past two decades and the emergence of new ways to produce, prepare and distribute food have made effective health control necessity to avoid health and economic implications caused by foodborne diseases,” he said. Dr Al Zeyoudi stressed that ensuring food safety and suitability for consumption is the responsibility of all, including producers, farmers, food processing facilities, as well as food transporting and handling agencies, where the most important element of this chain is the consumer who must be fully aware of the concept of food safety because it is his responsibility to conserve his own health and the wellbeing of his family.
He underlined that the UAE has given great attention to monitoring tools, including increasing the regulations and human resources at the border entry points and in national laboratories which utilise modern technologies and follow best practices. “No food products are allowed through the border entry points unless they are accompanied by documents and certificates that ensure they abide by the local specifications and health regulations.”
The UAE minister added that the country is keen on training inspectors, enhancing financial resources for the implementation of activities and programmes aimed at promoting food safety and control, strengthening channels of communication with consumers, regulators and stakeholders, developing food laboratories and acquiring international accreditation, in addition to promoting control on food relocation, storage and retail facilities, as well as implementing awareness programmes for consumers about best practices in handling food, noting that the ministry has dealt with 127 food notifications in 2016.