The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) confirmed that 56 tonnes of food materials unfit for human consumption were destroyed in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 2023, in addition to refusing the entry of 40 tonnes of food materials into the markets of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The move is within the framework of the Authority’s commitment to implementing legislation and laws related to food safety and ensuring the achievement of the highest levels of health and safety for the community.
ADAFSA stated in its annual report that all food products are subject to all control and examination procedures to ensure their safety and compliance with standards and specifications, in addition to the risks of transportation and storage that may result in damage to these products, which may expose consumers to health risks.
The authority stressed the continuous work to develop transparent and clear oversight mechanisms and procedures that keep pace with the aspirations of the Abu Dhabi government in securing and ensuring the safety of food supplies during all stages of the food chain.
The application of these control procedures is based on systems based on the degree of risk, and the authority is also keen for food establishments such as factories, hotels and catering companies to implement the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to ensure that food materials circulated in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi do not pose any risk to health. and consumer safety.
The food chain
The authority also follows up on the food handlers’ training programme on the basics of food safety (EFST), in order to upgrade food establishments and ensuring food safety at all stages of the food chain, while providing consultations and awareness programmes related to food safety.
The authority determines the controls for the destruction of foodstuffs. These include: imported food shipments that do not conform to specifications, seizing the rejected food items, submitting a request for destruction by the customer. Destroying the rejected food items is done in coordination with Tadweer to ensure that they are destroyed in a correct and safe manner, and accompanied by a representative from the Foodstuff Authority.
The rejected items are sent to the destruction site (landfill) to ensure that the food item is destroyed.
Regulatory systems
The Authority implements regulatory systems based on the best international practices, which contribute to facilitating trade and commerce, as the regulatory system based on the degree of health risk is based on identifying the health risks associated with foods, so that they are classified according to the purpose of their use/
It allows resources to be directed according to priorities, and forms a basis for increasing consumer confidence and maintaining the level of health protection.
Supervisory procedures
The regulatory system is based on the degree of health risk, and relies on tightening control procedures on foods with a high risk to human health, based on reliable scientific methods and on sources associated with these foods. The system allows for less severe control operations on foods with a medium- and low-risk to human health, according to the authority.
At the same time, the system takes into account the simplification of import procedures and requirements, so as to achieve the required protection limits and avoid restrictions that are not based on justifications based on assessing risks to trade, the authority added
