Food safety

Food safety is an essential element of food security, especially in the UAE, which depends on imports for meeting a large part of its food needs.

Through its National Food Safety Committee, the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment is working with its partners on implementing Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety and its executive regulations, which includes strict controls and standards to ensure food safety throughout the food chain. The law aims at establishing and developing systems to monitor and inspect food, its facilities and at entry ports, creating a national food accreditation and registration system, establishing of a rapid food and feed alert system throughout the food chain, developing mechanisms for the exchange of information at the national and global levels, as well as raising community awareness of best food practices.

Conventions

World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
View Download Download

Bulletins / Guides

A Guide to Food Security in the UAE

View Download Download

Terminology

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Adulterated Food

Food where certain materials are added to its original ingredients for the purpose of reducing its quality and nutritional value or the food where some of its nutrient contents have been removed without disclosing this in its food label

Codex

Usually reference to a code of law. Also used as shorthand for Codex Alimentarius. A publication on food standards maintained jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the World
Health Organization (WHO).

Food hygiene

All conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain

The assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared or eaten according to its intended use

Food Safety Index

the project that was conducted during 2013 - 2016, to assess overall the food safety output performance of food control bodies in each emirate (and also at a federal level)

National Rapid Alert System

This system applies to information exchange on the foodborne risks reported by the relevant authorities, which are discovered or anticipated through official inspections, surveillances of outbreaks of foodborne diseases, consumer complaints and notifications from food establishments as well as those that are received through relevant regional and international networks

Sanitary measures

Measures to protect the health of the consumer in the country from risks linked to food additives, contaminants, toxins or pathogenic microorganisms in food or from risks emerged by diseases transmitted by plants, animals, plant or animal products, or other risks

Online Poll

How satisfied are you with the availability of the necessary information about the service through the service delivery channels?