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Inhalt

18 Focus Importing food into the UAE Over the years the UAE has built a strong reputation as an international trade hub with food imports being a particularly popular and profitable sector For a fairly new trader however understanding the basic procedures and working around the safety regulations can be quite overwhelming In the following feature Anne Friederike Paul offers key guidelines to bear in mind Importing food products into the UAE has however always been a challenge both for companies who would like to bring their products into the market and for the authorities who have to make sure that the products comply with local health and safety standards There are a number of laws and local council regulations setting out the food labelling and importation requirements in the UAE The requirements for food labelling are set out in various federal commercial and consumer protection laws and each individual Emirate is responsible for implementing such laws The high volume of trade could not be controlled without establishing proper food control procedures enforced by a food control authority which for Dubai is the Food Control Department of the Dubai Municipality This authority is dedicated to guarantee the safety and quality of imported food with regards to the health and safety of the consumer through applying the most suitable standards and specification Importation of products into the UAE must be done through importers distributors registered with the local municipality Importers have to register with the Dubai Municipality E Government and then activate the Food Import Re export service by registering with the Food Import Re export System FIRS programme which belongs to the Food Trade Control Section Registered importers are responsible for having the product labels approved and must arrange for the necessary laboratory testing before approval for certain products are given Laboratory testing is also required on first shipments to the UAE Every food shipment is subjected to visual inspection upon arrival to ensure compliance with label and food ingredient standards If a product is found to be unfit for human consumption or if it does not comply with local labelling requirements the product will be either destroyed by the local municipality or re exported to the country of origin Depending on the severity of the violations fines can be imposed Below is a short summary of the legal requirements for the import and labelling of food products Import of Food Products t The following documents and certificates are necessary in importing to the UAE t Importing permission or commercial licence that indicates food imports or general trading activity t Import Goods Declaration t Dubai Municipality approval letter t Commercial Invoice t Certificate of Origin either original or an authorised stamped copy from the concerned authority t Health Certificate from the official authority of the country of origin or country of export or its delegated authority that states that the goods have been prepared and shipped under sanitary conditions and are fit for human consumption t A pack list that includes information on the date of loading of the container the various types and quantities of the food items along with their description and the production and expiry date s for each type batch t Bill of Lading t Delivery Order addressed to the Customs Department stating the description of the carrier and the cargo and stating to whom the cargo is to be delivered t Temperature records throughout transportation of containers for cold and frozen items t A Halal slaughtering certificate according to the Islamic law for meat poultry and its products and also for processed food from animal origin including milk which has to be issued from an approved Islamic association t Where nutrition and or health claims are stated on the food label the importer shall provide the supporting documentation proving the truthfulness of such allegations The original certificates must accompany the shipment at the time