Required Report - public distribution

**Date:** 7/9/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** TC5014

TC5000

**United Arab Emirates**

**Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards**

**Country Report**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Michael Henney

Agricultural Trade Office Dubai

**Prepared by:**

Mohamed Taha

**Report Highlights:**

This is an update of FAIRS Report TC5011. The primary changes include
the lifting of the ban against U.S. meat products.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Annual Report

Dubai \[TC1\]

\[TC\]

Table of Contents

[United Arab Emirates: Food Import Regulations and Standards
3](#united-arab-emirates-food-import-regulations-and-standards)

[A. General (updated) 3](#a.-general-updated)

[1. Food Law Overview (updated) 3](#food-law-overview-updated)

[2. Labeling Requirements 5](#labeling-requirements)

[3. Food Additive Regulations 7](#food-additive-regulations)

[4. Pesticide and Other Contaminants
7](#pesticide-and-other-contaminants)

[5. Other Regulations and Requirements
7](#other-regulations-and-requirements)

[6. Other Specific Standards 8](#other-specific-standards)

[7. Copyright and Trademark Laws 8](#copyright-and-trademark-laws)

[8. Import Procedures 8](#import-procedures)

[Appendix A. Permitted Food Colors
10](#appendix-a.-permitted-food-colors)

[A. Food Colors - Natural 10](#a.-food-colors---natural)

[B. Food Colors - Artificial 11](#b.-food-colors---artificial)

[C. Coloring allowed in Select Foods
12](#c.-coloring-allowed-in-select-foods)

[D. Prohibited Coloring 12](#d.-prohibited-coloring)

[Appendix B. Major Regulatory Agencies
13](#appendix-b.-major-regulatory-agencies)

**Executive Summary**

# United Arab Emirates: Food Import Regulations and Standards 

Section(s) Updated: A

Last Updated: June 14, 2005

**Disclaimer:** The Agricultural Trade Office of the USDA/Foreign
Agricultural Service in Dubai, UAE has prepared this report for U.S.
exporters of domestic food and agricultural products. While every
possible care has been taken in the preparation of this report, the
information provided may not be completely accurate either because
policies have changed since its preparation or clear and consistent
information was not available. It is highly recommended that U.S.
exporters verify all import requirements with local authorities through
their importers, before sales conditions are finalized and goods are
shipped. Final import approval of any product is subject to the rules
and regulations as interpreted by the country of import at the time of
product entry.

Please contact this office, if you have any comments, corrections or
suggestions about the material contained in this report. Our e-mail
address is: atodubai@usda.gov.

# A. General (updated)

## 1. Food Law Overview (updated)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a member of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) that includes other member countries Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

GCC member states continue to work towards harmonizing their food import
standards with international standards, such as CODEX and OIE.

In 1993 the GCC ratified Gulf Standard (GS) 150/1993, Part I that
established shelf-life standards for 118 products. This was the first
major effort within the GCC towards harmonizing food regulations.
However, to date, not all member countries enforce this standard
equally.

For the most part, UAE regulations are based on GCC standards, when
available. In the absence of a GCC approved standard, the UAE General
Secretariat of Municipalities (GSM) sets food safety regulations based
on recommendations made by the National Food Safety Committee (NFSC) on
food related matters and by the Veterinary Committee (VC) on meat and
poultry related matters.

The National Food Safety Committee (NFSC) consists of:

\- Two representatives each from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah
municipalities;

\- One representative each from the remaining five municipalities of the
UAE;

\- One representative each from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
Economy & Planning, Agriculture & Fisheries (Agriculture Section) and
Health;

\- The Secretary General of the GSM;

\- One representative from ESMO; and

\- One representative from Al Ain University.

The Veterinary Committee (VC) consists of:

\- One representative from the veterinary section of each eight
municipalities of the UAE;

\- One representative from the (Animal Wealth Department, Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries.

Several specialized subcommittees have appeared in recent years after
international food scares related to SARS, avian influenza and BSE.
These include the Microbiology, Food Chemists and Biotechnology
subcommittees.

In each of the country's eleven major municipalities the respective
health department holds responsibility for enforcing food safety
standards on locally produced and imported foods through its food
control section. While information is shared between municipalities,
each operates independently of one another. The municipalities of Dubai,
Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are the major entry points for imported food
products, in descending order of trade volume and value.

Food products are regularly inspected at time of import, at production
facilities and at point-of-sale. Fines are levied and products destroyed
for severe violations. Imported and locally produced food products are
subject to the same food safety regulations and labeling requirements.
At present there are no environmental laws regulating food product
packaging.

The UAE is a growing market for high value food products. Food is
imported from more than 90 countries. The country is free trade oriented
but does apply several non-tariff trade restrictions. The UAE is very
active in the re-export of food products to neighboring countries with
more than 60 percent estimated eventually re-exported. The major
regulatory barriers facing U.S. suppliers include:

\(1\) Shelf life standards that are not science-based,

\(2\) Labeling of production and expiry dates on most food products,

\(3\) Labeling of dates in a day/month/year or month/year format only,
and

\(4\) The requirement of at least one-half a product's shelf life must
be remaining at time of import.

In January 2003, the UAE implemented the "GCC Unified Customs Law and
Single Customs Tariff" (UCL). The UCL established a unified customs
tariff of five percent on practically all processed food product. Under
the UCL, live animals, fresh fruit and vegetables, some seafood, grains,
flour, tea, sugar, spices and seeds for planting are exempt from any
duty.

The UCL established a single entry point policy. In other words, a
product entering any GCC member market would pay the appropriate duty
only at point of entry into the GCC then be permitted duty free transit
among GCC member countries. In practice, this policy is employed only
(and not consistently) with unopened containers transshipped between GCC
markets. Partial shipments tend to be subject to the 5 percent import
duty again at point of destination.

For the most part UAE officials work with companies to ensure that food
and agricultural imports are not unduly disrupted or delayed at port of
entry. Transparency in the regulatory system and broader public
dissemination of regulatory changes would facilitate their effort. The
present practice of disseminating rule change notices to only a handful
of major trading houses tends only to spur public question of the UAE
regulatory establishment, its mandate and the country's commitment to
its international obligations.

Because of inadequate public notice on regulatory change and autonomy of
each municipality to set public health requirements, the U.S. exporter
is encouraged to consult closely with its importer on product
requirements prior to shipment. If time permits, the exporter is advised
to obtain pre-export label and product clearance.

On June 1, 2005, the UAE lifted its 18-month ban on U.S. beef. This
follows the March 7 accreditation of four U.S. Islamic Centers/Societies
for Halal certification of meat and poultry exported to the UAE.

## 2. Labeling Requirements 

# 

For the most part, the UAE enforces the GCC \"Gulf Standard\" (GS)
9/1995 which regulates labeling of foods. A major exception to this is
that the UAE, so far, accepts English-only labels and does not enforce
the Arabic-label requirement on food products. However, given that the
UAE is a major transshipment point into the Arabic speaking region,
bilingual labels (e.g., Arabic/English) or Arabic stickers containing
crucial label information is recommended.

In general, the standard U.S. label satisfies most UAE label
requirements. The production date requirement is a key difference. Under
current UAE regulations, a food label must contain the following
information:

\- Product and brand name,

\- Ingredients in descending order of proportion,

\- Additives using their "E" number (group names are accepted, see
appendix B.),

\- The origin of all animal fats (should be of Halal origin) 1/,

\- Net content in metric units,

\- Production and expiry dates (see below for details),

\- Country of origin,

\- Manufacturer's/exporter's name and address,

\- Special storage and preparation instructions, if any.

1/ Note: usage of pork fat, as with all pork related products as
ingredients, is restricted. Non-Halal meats are permitted import thru an
exemption issued by the Director, Food Control Section of the
municipality. Such products are subject to certain restrictions, i.e.,
can be sold to non-Moslems only via designated establishments.

Labeling regulations apply to products shipped in bulk and
institutional‑sized containers. For example, bulk cartons of fresh
fruits and vegetables must contain most label information, but need not
carry production/expiry dates.

Labels for specialty foods, such as diet, health and baby foods, must
contain detailed information about the product\'s vitamin and mineral
contents, nutritive value per 100 grams and proper use and storage. The
U.S. nutritional panel is acceptable. There is no RDA labeling
requirement. In general, U.S. nutritional labeling is acceptable and may
eventually be the basis for local nutritional labeling standards.

Labels for pork and pork containing products must comply with general
labeling requirements and must clearly state that the product contains
pork. Food labels may not contain pictures of, nor may recipes list pork
or alcohol. Alcoholic beverages and alcohol containing products can be
imported but only through authorized importers and retail shops.

As with food products, labels for pet foods are required to be printed
in Arabic but English only labels are accepted. Arabic/English labels
are permitted, as are Arabic stickers in lieu of Arabic labels. The pet
food label must contain the statement "Not fit for human consumption.\"
Production/expiry dates are required for pet foods.

The UAE enforces the GCC GS 150/1993, Part I, which regulates the
shelf-life duration on approximately 118 food products. Under GS 150,
production/expiry dates for selected products must be engraved,
embossed, printed or stamped directly onto the original label or primary
packaging at the time of production, using indelible ink. P/E dates
printed on stickers is not an acceptable alternative. U.S. bar coding in
lieu of P/E dates is not accepted either. Only one set of P/E dates on
the label is permitted. P/E dates must be printed in the following
fashion, depending upon the shelf‑life of the product:

‑ Day/month/year for products with a shelf‑life of six months or less

‑ Month/year for products with a shelf‑life longer than six months

Under the month/year format, the last day of the month is considered the
expiry date. The month may be printed in numbers or letters. For
example, both 3/03 and March 03 are acceptable formats.

The word "Production" or the letter "P" must precede the production
date. The expiry date must be preceded by one of the following
statements: "Expiration (date)"; "Use by (date)"; "Use before (date)";
"Sell by (date)"; "Valid until (date) from the date of production"; or
the letter "E.\"

With few exceptions, a product must have at least one-half of its shelf
life remaining at the time of import. Meat and poultry products must be
imported within four months of their date of production, regardless of
the length of their shelf life.

The following products are exempt from expiration dating - salt, white
sugar, dried legumes, dried vegetables, spices and other condiments, tea
and rice. However, importers prefer to have such products labeled with
production and expiry dates, as consumers tend not to be aware of this
exemption.

Most major municipalities offer the following services to facilitate
food product imports:

Pre-shipment approval of:

Food Labels - Copies of labels can be sent (fax copies are acceptable)
directly to health officials for review, free-of-charge. If approved, a
notice will be issued to accompany the product and facilitate inspection
at the time of arrival.

Products - Officials will analyze a product to determine compliance with
food ingredient standards. Costs involved vary, depending on type of
product and ingredients. Laboratory testing is required on first
consignments to the UAE.

Occasionally, local health officials will permit the importation of food
products with minor labeling infractions. Exemptions are granted on a
one-time basis and the sale of such products usually is limited to
institutional end users.

## 

## 3. Food Additive Regulations

UAE Standard \# 23/2000 (GS 23/1998), regulates the use of food coloring
additives, while UAE Standard \# 356/1995, regulates the use of food
preservatives. UAE officials are referring increasingly to the Codex
Alimentarius, FDA and other internationally recognized bodies to
determine permitted food additives, particularly for those additives not
listed in GS 23/1998. Rarely is an illegal food additive or ingredient
detected in U.S. origin products. Nevertheless, the U.S. exporter is
encouraged to work closely with his importer to ensure the product meets
UAE food additive requirements. UAE health authorities note with regard
to new-to-market products \"The addition of food coloring,
preservatives, antioxidants and non-nutritive sweeteners is
restricted.\" The Food Control Section of the respective Municipality
should be contacted for further details.

## 4. Pesticide and Other Contaminants

In absence of a GCC or UAE standard, the UAE recognized the Codex
Alimentarius Volume 2 B standard that governs pesticide and other
contaminant residue levels. Chemical contamination is a growing concern
of UAE authorities and efforts are underway to update local guidelines
and improve testing procedures. Food products meeting U.S. residue
standards will most likely meet future UAE standards. It is very rare
that U.S. origin products are rejected due to pesticide or other
contaminant residue.

## 5. Other Regulations and Requirements

All imported food products must be accompanied by:

\- A health certificate issued by the appropriate government agency in
the United States, attesting to the product's fitness for human
consumption,

\- A Halal slaughter certificate issued by a UAE-approved U.S. Islamic
Center and notarized by the UAE Embassy/Consulate,

\- Bill of Entry or Airway Bill,

\- Packing list,

\- Country of Origin Certificate.

The UAE Embassy or UAE Consulate in the United States must notarize
health and Halal slaughter certificates.

There are no special packaging or container size requirements for food
products. The UAE does not allow the importation of irradiated food
products. A radiation-free certificate is required for food products
from Europe and Asia. U.S. products are exempt from this requirement.

There are no specific requirements for imported food samples. Samples
for food shows and other promotional events are routinely exempt from
local labeling and shelf life requirements. Product samples must be
clearly marked as samples and accompanied by a statement claiming that
they are not for sale.

Since 1998 the UAE has levied a commercial invoice legalization fee
(equivalent to 1 percent of the consignment value) on all imported
products. The fee can be paid at the UAE Embassy/Consulate in the United
States or in the UAE upon arrival. Products will not be released from
Customs until the fee is paid.

Enter trade text here

## 6. Other Specific Standards

Other than UAE standard (254/1995) for \"baby food based on milk,\"
there are no special standards for specialty food products, such diet or
health foods.

Inspection officials routinely check for salmonella in poultry products.
If salmonella is detected in more than 20 percent of tested samples, the
shipment will be rejected.

Imports of alcoholic beverages are strictly controlled. Only a few local
companies are licensed to import and sell alcoholic beverages. These
products are exempt from local labeling requirements. The import of
non-alcoholic beverages is permitted, but these products cannot contain
more than 0.05 percent of alcohol by volume. These products are also
exempt from local labeling requirements. The sale of pork products is
strictly regulated and confined to well-marked areas of supermarkets.
Restaurants must clearly identify products on the menu that contain
pork. Only selected retail outlets and hotels are permitted to sell
pork.

The UAE Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) is responsible for
regulating the importation of live animals and plants.

## 7. Copyright and Trademark Laws

The UAE is tightening trademark and brand name protection rules.
Trademark registration is not mandatory but protection may be limited
unless officially registered. Trademark infringement problems are rare
in the food sector.

Trademark registration is the responsibility of the Trademark Section,
Ministry of Economy and Commerce. A foreign company may register a
product/brand directly with the Ministry. To speed the process, however,
it is recommended that a local law firm be retained.

The UAE no longer permits sole agency agreements for food brand names.
This means that a local company can no longer register itself with the
government as the exclusive importer/distributor of a specific brand.
Agency agreements registered prior to June 1996, however, continue to be
recognized.

## 8. Import Procedures

The UAE boasts some of the most modern air and seaport facilities in the
world. Food shipments usually are off loaded, inspected by health
officials and cleared through customs within hours of arrival at port.
(Dubai ports are the primary entry points for food products.)

Every food shipment is subject to visual inspection upon arrival to
ensure compliance with label and shelf life regulations. Shipments are
subject to random laboratory analysis. Baby foods and edible oils are
subject to 100 percent sampling. Other food products are sampled in
accordance with the sampling policy manual, which sets out the frequency
of sampling based on food type, brand and country of origin. A
consignment undergoing laboratory analysis is stored under bonded
warehouse selected by the importer, within the same emirate of arrival.
Laboratory results are generally known within 5-10 days. New-to-market
food products are subject to thorough laboratory analysis. Once cleared,
they are subject to random sampling as are other food products on the
market.

A product will be rejected if found unfit for human consumption or
non-compliant with label requirements. In either case, the product would
be destroyed by the local municipality or re-exported to the country of
origin within 30 days, at the importers discretion. Products not
conforming to label requirements may be re-exported to a third country
(non-GCC). Fines may be imposed, depending on the severity of the
violation.

A product rejection may be appealed to the Health Department having
jurisdiction over that port. The municipality will convey a special
committee to review the petition and issue a final decision, normally
within a week. The committee's decision is final.

In case of a minor label infraction, a shipment may be permitted entry
on a one-time basis for limited sale, i.e., to institutional end-users
only. A major infraction, such as improper labeling of products
containing pork or tampering with P/E dates, is severely punished,
particularly those infractions discovered after import. Such products
are automatically banned from import, usually for several months, and
the brand name and importer is often reported in the press.

**Appendices**

# 

# Appendix A. Permitted Food Colors

The following is a list of food colors, natural and artificial,
permitted in the UAE:

## A. Food Colors - Natural

**Color/ International Other**

**Description Number Names**

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-- \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

Red to Yellow Colors

Carmine 120 Cochineal, Carminic Acid

Annato extracts 160B Bixin, Norbixin

Beta Carotene 160A Carotene blend

Lycobine 160D

Beta‑Apo‑8‑carotenal 160E

Beta‑Apo‑8‑carotenoid acid 160F

Lutein 161B

Carrot oil None

Beet root red 162 Beta nine

**Red to Purple Shade**

Anthocyanins 163(i)

Grape skin extract 163(ii)

Blackcurrant extract 163(iii) Enocianina

Beet powder None

Paprika None

Paprika oleoresin 160C

**Orange and Yellow Colors**

Saffron None Natural yellow 6

Turmeric powder 100(ii)

Curcumin 100(i)

Turmeric oleoresin None

Riboflavin 101(i)

Riboflavin-5-Sodium Phosphate 101(ii)

**Green Colors**

Chlorophylls 140 Chlorophyllins

Chlorophyll copper complex 141(i)

Sodium and potassium salts of 141(ii)

chlorophyll copper complex

**Brown Colors**

Plain caramel 150A

Caustic sulphite caramel 150B

Ammonia caramel 150C

Ammonia sulphite caramel 150D

**Black Color**

Activated vegetable carbon 153

**Inorganic Colors**

Titanium dioxide 171 Food white 6

Iron oxides 172

## B. Food Colors - Artificial

Red Colors

Azorubine 122 Carmosine, Food red 3

Allura Red 17 129 Food red 40

**Yellow Colors**

Sunset yellow FCF 110 Food yellow 3, Food orange S, Yellow 6 for food,
drugs and cosmetics

Tartrazine 102 Food yellow 4, Yellow 5 for food, drugs and cosmetics

**Brown Color**

Chocolate brown HT 155 Food brown 3

**Green Color**

Fast green FCF 143 Food green 3, Green 3 for food, drugs and cosmetics

**Blue Colors**

Indigo tine 132 Carmine indigo, Blue 2 for

food, drugs and cosmetics, Food blue 1

Brilliant blue FCF 133 Food blue 2, Blue 1 for food, drugs and cosmetics

**Black Color**

Brilliant black BN 151 Food black 1, Black PN

## C. Coloring allowed in Select Foods

  ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------
  International     Color             Food              Maximum Limit
  Number                                                

  127               Erythrosine       Cherry and        None
                                      Products          

  128               Red 2 G           Sausages          20 ppm

  161G              Canthaxanthin     Cooked Sausages   30 ppm

                                      Frozen Foods      100 ppm

  173               Aluminum          External Cover    According to Good
                                      for Cake and      Production
                                      Pasta             Practice

  174               Silver            External Cover    According to Good
                                      for Sweets        Production
                                                        Practice

  175               Gold              External Cover    According to Good
                                      for Sweets        Production
                                                        Practice

  180               Lithotrubine      Cheese Covering   According to Good
                                                        Production
                                                        Practice

  None              Orange B          Sausage and       150 ppm
                                      Frankfurters      
                                      Covering          

  None              Citrus Red 2      Orange Peel       2 ppm
  ----------------- ----------------- ----------------- -----------------

Parts per million = ppm

## D. Prohibited Coloring

  -------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------
  International Number Color                  Remarks

  104                  Quinolin yellow        Prohibited in all food
                                              products

  124                  Ponceau 4R             Prohibited in all food
                                              products
  -------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------

In 2005, Sudan Reds 1-2-3-4 were added to the list of banned colors.

# Appendix B. Major Regulatory Agencies

Federal Government Contacts:

-   H. E. Jassim M. Darwish, Secretary General Oversight of National

-   Mr. Obeid Bin Essa Ahmed, Assistant Sec. General Food Safety
    Committee

> General Secretariat of UAE Municipalities

P.O. Box 5665

Dubai, UAE

Tel: (971) 4-223-7785; Fax: (971) 4-223-6136

E-mail: <gsmdxb@emirates.net.ae>

-   Mr. Waleed Bin Falah, Director General Standards and specification

Emirates Authority for Standards & Metrology issues

P.O. Box 2166

Abu Dhabi,

Tel: (971) 2-671-1110; Fax: (971) 2-671-5999

-   Mr. Khalfan El Swaidy Live animal imports

Director, Animal Wealth Department

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

P.O. Box 1509

Dubai, UAE

Tel: (971) 4-295-8161; Fax: (971) 4-223-2781

-   Mr. Mohammed M. Abdullah Plant imports

Head, Plant Quarantine Division

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

P.O. Box 1509

Dubai, UAE

Tel: (971) 4-266-2781; Fax: (971) 4-265-4787

Municipality Contacts: Recommend as first point of contact for food
import requirements and pre-export certification of labels and
ingredients.

-   Mr. Khalid M. Sharif

Head, Food Control Section

Dubai Municipality

P.O. Box 67

Dubai, UAE

Tel: (971) 4-206-4201; Fax: (971) 4-223-1905

E-mail: <foodcontrol@dm.gov.ae>

-   Dr. Amin M. Yousuf

Director, Food and Environment

Control Center

Abu Dhabi Municipality

P.O. Box 3111

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Tel: (971) 2-672-5008; Fax: (971) 2-678-5961

E-mail: <aminyousuf@hotmail.com>

-   Dr. Rasha A. Sultan Al Qassemi

Head, Central Food Control Laboratory

Sharjah Municipality

P.O. Box 22

Sharjah, UAE

Tel: (971) 6-552-4017; Fax: (971) 6-552-3612

E-mail: <cfoodl@emirates.net.ae>

-   Ms. Amina Ahmed Al Jasemi

> Head of Food & Environment Laboratory Section
>
> Dubai Central Laboratory Department
>
> Dubai Municipality
>
> P.O. Box 67
>
> Dubai, UAE
>
> Tel: (971) 4-301-1619; Fax: (971) 4-335-8448
>
> E-mail: <labs@dm.gov.ae>