Dubai dispels food safety rumors
Sharjah groceries have a year to adhere to new rules
Doctors perform operation at the American Hospital Dubai.
DUBAI, April 3: The municipality has responded to the latest food rumour circulating on social media lately, which questions the safety of tea bags in Dubai.
Authorities on Wednesday issued a statement responding to the rumours, assuring residents that all tea bags are safe for consumption, Gulf News reported.
Eman Al Bastaki, Director of Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality, said that the rumours claimed that a material called Epichlorohydrin was used to make tea bags, which is a substance used in making pesticides.
The laboratory tests conducted by the Municipality have proved that the tea bags are free from this material, said Al Bastaki.
The municipality confirmed that it has tested different samples of tea bags of several brands to check their safety and affirmed that they are all compliant with global specifications, with laboratory tests proving the rumours wrong.
For this, we have devoted a large force of observers and inspectors in all areas concerning the protection of public health in terms of waste, food or pest control, she said.
She pointed out that all the food that enter the emirate undergo various rounds of inspections.
The documents attached to the consignment undergo a thorough scrutiny and then random samples are taken by the Food Safety Department for lab tests on a regular basis before letting them out in the market. The food samples are subjected to microbiological, chemical, and radiological tests by the Food and Environment Laboratory Section of Dubai Central Laboratory Department, Al Bastaki explained.
She also denied the presence of any impurities or carcinogenic substances in the food in circulation in the emirate of Dubai.
Al Bastaki said: Before being circulated and sold to the public, the food in Dubai is subjected to routine health inspections. They have to undergo a comprehensive analysis to make sure that they are free from anything that is detrimental to the health and safety of consumers and the community in Dubai. We ensure they are free from the dangers of any illegal substances.
They are also tested to make sure that they are free of carcinogens in order to preserve public health and safety of citizens and residents, and all the foodstuffs adhere to international specifications in food control, she added.
The municipality has confirmed that the grades belonged to another country, although they did not specify which one.
On its official Facebook page, Dubai Municipality assured that all food imported into the UAE are safe and adhere to strict safety protocols that follow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regulations.
Kindly note there are international regulations for meat and chicken, based on the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the circulating grades are not issued by an official or concerned entity, but a media website.
Dubai Municipality also pointed that according to the International Notification System, the authority did not receive any notification regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, Groceries in Sharjah have to conform to new standards, including installing uniform signboards and security cameras, and adopting stricter food storage standards, authorities said on Monday.
The Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) has given groceries a year to implement the changes, starting with those in commercial areas.
Sultan Al Suwaidi, chairman of SEDD, said the new requirements would contribute to the quality of service and help increase consumer demand.
The SEDD recently started distributing brochures to groceries to explain the new requirements.
The move is similar to the Baqala (Grocery) project in Abu Dhabi, implemented in 2013, that introduced universal decor in groceries as well as better refrigeration and shelving methods. Hundreds of groceries that were too small, or failed to comply with other Baqala standards, had to close.
Sharjah’s new rules stipulate that groceries must not be less than 30 square metres in area, a grocery manager said. Cluttered shelves will not be allowed, with separate metal shelves for baked items. Fruits and vegetables must be displayed in refrigerators, while five-gallon water bottles must be secured in metal enclosures. There must also be a provision for insect traps.
All groceries must have a glass front under the new standards, which also make it compulsory for grocery staff to wear uniforms that include name tags.
The project also aims to, Al Suwaidi said, create investment opportunities for the citizens of Sharjah and the UAE. He emphasised that the main goal of the new standards is to develop the retail sale sector in terms of operating mechanisms, from traditional ways to a modern framework. The chairman added that the project contributes to the development of the emirate’s economy by making the sector more attractive for investors.