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FOOD IMPORT AND RE-EXPORT REQUIRMENTS

FOOD IMPORT REQUIRMENTSRegistration – Labeling (9-2007 STD) – Documents –

Halal Procedures - Shelf life Regulations

Before importing any food product, the importing establishment must ensure that:

• It is registered with Dubai Municipality e-services. To register in e-services you need the following: 1- Submit a registration request through Website

www,.dm.gov.ae 2- Copy of a valid license in UAE related to any Food Activity. 3- Official company stamp.

• It is registered with the Food Import & Re-export System (FIRS) program of the Food Control Department.

To register with FIRS you need to submit a trade license copy with the following:

• The company’s address (P.O Box, email, telephone & fax, contact person name and his mobile No.

• Location details of the warehouse (warehouses) of the company in Dubai (Zone, street, etc) and telephone & fax

• Approving the label for packaged food items:.• The food label approval requires submitting an electronic application through

the Food Import and Re-Export system (FIRS). The application may include one or more food items.

• The label shall contain the following:1-Brand Name2-Product name (a summarized description of the food product).

3-The food ingredients (arranged according to weight or volume).

4-Production & expiration dates of all products (except those which are exempted from displaying the validity or expiration dates).

5-Name of the food manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer. 6-Net weight or volume.7-Country of Origin

8-Product’s barcode.9-Lot number

10-Storage conditions (if the validity of the product depends on such conditions).

11- Declaring if any ingredient causes hypersensitivity or requires special using instructions. 12-Instructions for using the product (if needed).

13-Displaying the nutritional information is optional (except the products with special uses such as baby foods, foods for patients, etc).

The label shall contain the following(contd):

Language of the label should be in Arabic, If another language is used beside Arabic, all the information should be exactly the same .

Approved stickers could be used to translate the food labels into Arabic Language.

The minimum requirements for the Arabic information on the label or sticker are (Product name, The food ingredients , Country of Origin) and any of following if required (Storage conditions , Declaring if any ingredient causes hypersensitivity or requires special using instructions, Instructions for using the product).

14-Label’s Language

• Submitting samples of each food product or its label (or a copy thereof which may be attached with the electronic application).• Each food label shall be studied & appropriate modifications

will be noted• In addition to approving the food label, laboratory testing may

be required before importing some products.• Individual food standards (if any) shall be followed to avoid

committing any violations (such as presence of prohibited ingredients, microbial or chemical requirements, etc)

Approving the label for packaged food items

•Production & expiration dates shall be mentioned on all food packages (some exceptions apply) according to the following conditions:

Production & expiration dates shall be printed , embossed, or engraved on the original package or label.

It is prohibited to write such dates manually or on a sticker (even the sticker which is used for Arabic translation).

Double dates are not allowed (such indicating more than one production or expiration date).

Production & expiration dates shall be clearly printed; and not easy to erase.

Day – month – year shall be indicated on food products with a validity of three months or less. Month – year shall be indicated on food products with a validity of more than three months

.

Date marking requirements

Remember!• If the labeling approval for the food items is

completed successfully by Food Control, it is mandatory to register all food items at the FIRS.

• Without doing so, you are not able to submit any application through FIRS system services.

• The importing establishment should submit an electronic import application through

• There are two types of import applications: -Food import for local markets. -Food import for re-export.

When the consignment arrives at the port of entry, the importing establishment should bring the consignment at the inspection site of the Food Trade Section at the port of entry accompanied with the following documents :

Bill of Entry or Airway Bill.

Delivery Order in case of containers.

An original Health Certificate approved by the governmental health authority at the country of origin.

Consignment packing list.

An original Halal Certificate issued by an Islamic Organization which is approved by UAE authorities (for meat or poultry and products thereof).

Any other certificates which might be required in case of any international epidemics or any certificates required based on local decisions (such as GMO-Free Certificates, Avian Flu-Free Certificates, Dioxin – Free Certificates, etc)

Transactions done during the importation of foodstuff

The consignment will be detained at the port of entry (Stop Delivery) in the following cases:

Failure to submit a Health Certificate (or a copy thereof).

Failure to submit a Halal Certificate in case of meat, poultry and products thereof.

The whole consignment is physically unsatisfactory.

The consignment has considerable and evident pest infestation.

The establishment is blacklisted due to unsettled violations.

There is an administrative order to ban the establishment

The activity of the importing establishment is not related to foodstuff

Be careful!

ATTRIBUTES OF THE NEW STANDARD

The food products were divided into two categories: mandatory & voluntary shelf life.

The products subjected to mandatory shelf life are usually sensitive & perishable.

The food manufacturers decide the actual shelf life of their products (which are included in the voluntary shelf life category) and all other products which are not included in this standard.

MANDATORY LIST

VOLUNTARY LIST

( Products exempted from indication of Expiration Date)

The Food is Halal if we ensure the following:

•Halal food is the food which is allowed according to the "Sharia`a and should be fit for human consumption & nutritious

•The meats or any products thereof are obtained from Halal animals which were slaughtered according to the Sharia’a principles.

•The food does not contain any ingredient that is prohibited “Non-halal” according to the "Sharia`a ".

•The food is not be mixed with any prohibited “Non-halal” foods during the preparation, storage, manufacturing or

transportation and displaying.

HALAL ISSUES

HALAL CertificationUAE had procedures of Approving the Islamic

Organizations at the country of origin to monitor Halal Slaughtering for UAE.

Parameters for approving Islamic Organizations which are responsible for monitoring the Halal Slaughtering (abroad) for U.A.E

FOOD RE-EXPORT REQUIRMENTS

• Re-export from the local market• Import for re-export• Mandatory re-export

Firstly: Food consignments Re-exported to different countries

Normally the consignments are not inspected at the exporting portِ'As the establishments which produce these foods are subjected to systematic routine inspections by the respective food control authorities in UAE.Or the products released normally in local market by food control authorities in UAE . However, exporting establishments may submit a request for issuing export health certificates if the importing country requires such certificates. In this case, food establishments have to adhere to the procedures related to health certificates (this is detailed below).

Secondly: food consignments imported by the establishment for “re-export only” according to the following conditions

• A grace period of 90 days is granted to re-export consignment.

• This period could be renewed subject to an approval by the Food he Trade Section.

• The establishment should obtain documents which are issued by the concerned authority proving that the consignment was re-exported by through one of UAE ports. This could be in form of an Exit Certificate detailing the quantities of the exported items.

• If the establishment decided to sell the whole consignment or any part thereof at the local markets, the whole consignment shall be treated as a regular imported consignment.

Thirdly: Consignments which should be re-exported (mandatory)• The reason for this mandatory re-export is the

rejection of these consignments or any items thereof by the Food Trade Section as a result of violating the approved standards and specifications or being unfit to human consumption.

• The establishment should follow up these consignments electronically as indicated in Table (2) which is concerned with rejected consignments.

• A grace period of 90 days is granted to re-export consignment.

• The establishment should obtain documents which are issued by the concerned authority proving that the consignment was re-exported by through one of UAE ports. This could be in form of an Exit Certificate detailing the quantities of the exported items

Services of issuing export health certificates

• Issuing export health certificates to all countries• Issuing export health certificate to GCC countries • Issuing Radiation Free activity certificate

To get any food standard, please visit the Website of Emirates Authority of Standardization & Metrology

(ESMA)

https://www.esma.ae

Abu Dhabi: 02-6711110

Dubai: 04-2944434

Thank you!

sstikarli@dm.gov.ae