The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) today announced that it had commenced circulating the Executive Regulation of Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on food safety among relevant entities. The move aims to reiterate the importance of ensuring the provision of healthy and safe food in the country in line with the National Agenda, UAE Vision 2021 and best international practices.
Engineer Majd Al Herbawi, Director of the Food Safety Department at MOCCAE, said: “In a bid to strengthen the trust and confidence of food consumers across the country, the Ministry is keen to develop the institutional, legislative and regulatory frameworks related to the safety of food products in cooperation with all stakeholders. The executive regulation explains the provisions of Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on food safety to ensure that food traded in the country is absolutely safe in line with our sustained focus on consumer health.”
Elaborating on the executive regulation, Engineer Al Herbawi said: “The regulation includes articles related to the conditions and procedures for the registration and accreditation of food and feed. It explains when food is considered harmful to health, contaminated, damaged, unfit for human consumption or non-compliant with technical standards.”
She added: “As documentation is one of the most important pillars of food safety, the regulation specifies how long the concerned entities are required to maintain documents or data on record to enable regulatory authorities to track and retrieve food and feed. In addition, the regulation lists the mandatory food safety measures in the countries of origin, as well as the conditions for handling, storage and disposal of food and feed. It also regulates the activities of food establishments.”
Engineer Al Herbawi further noted that the regulation stipulates the role of the Ministry in granting permits for the trade of food and feed as well as issuing certificates to verify plant and animal health. In addition, it defines the responsibilities of local authorities and food establishments with regard to food safety.
In the event of any violation of the provisions of the regulation, the Ministry or another competent authority may, as appropriate, take any of the steps stipulated in the article on administrative measures against the offending establishment, including:
1.1. Warning.
2.2. Administrative closure for a period not exceeding three months. Upon rectifying the violation, the establishment can apply for a permit to resume operations before the end of the administrative closure period.
3.3. Permanent closure and request for withdrawal of the operating license in case the establishment fails to rectify the violation by the end of the administrative closure.
Establishments are entitled to appeal against the temporary or permanent closure within 30 days from the date of notification of the decision.