Procedures for food clearance streamlined

The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), in collaboration with Abu Dhabi General Administration of Customs, has modernised food-import clearance checks at ports in the capital, said officials yesterday.

Using advanced information and communication technologies will help streamline customer’s experience to complete their transactions in a smooth and quick manner, said the authority.

Thamer Rashid Al Qasimi, spokesperson of ADFCA, said the Authority aims to reduce the time taken for providing services to customers, such as inspection of imported food shipments.

“The ADFCA also developed the system of collecting and analysing samples according to the products’ risk level-based system, taking advantage of the previous databases of the sample results,” he said.

Al Qasimi pointed out that updates include providing free services at the emirate’s border ports and extending working hours at Adfca’s Khalifa port office.

To ease customs clearance procedures of food shipments at Khalifa port, the food control authority has extended the inspection working days and hours from 7am to 11pm throughout the week.

He noted that importers can obtain direct approval to follow up the shipments being transferred between the country’s different emirates through the federal system for food products classification and registration.