When it comes to food safety, Abu Dhabi isn’t taking any chances! The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) recently revealed that in 2024 alone, it inspected a whopping 1.5 million tons of imported food to ensure what reaches residents’ plates is 100% safe and high-quality. But here’s the catch, not everything cuts down from Abu Dhabi food inspects!
Abu Dhabi Inspects 1.5 Million Tons Of Imported Food
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A staggering 749 tons of imported food were deemed unfit for human consumption and were either returned to their countries of origin or destroyed. So, how does ADAFSA manage to inspect millions of tons of food and still keep things under control? Well, they’ve got a pretty solid risk-based inspection system in place. This means every shipment that enters Abu Dhabi, whether through land, sea, or air, goes through multiple layers of checks.
First, they verify all import documentation and health certificates that come along with the shipment. Then, they conduct visual inspections to check the condition of the food. And finally, if anything looks fishy (literally or metaphorically), they send it off for laboratory testing to ensure it meets the health and safety standards.
The result? Contaminated, expired, or low-quality products get swiftly booted out of the market before they even reach consumers.
ADAFSA’s Digital Platform Making Food Trade Smoother
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In a bid to make food trade seamless, ADAFSA has also introduced a fully digital platform called the Food Imports and Exports Platform, operating under the ATLP (Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform). This platform is like a one-stop solution for importers and exporters to:
- Register their companies and products.
- Apply for import or export licenses.
- Request food shipment inspections.
- Obtain food destruction certificates for expired or unfit items.
- Secure customs clearance without unnecessary delays.
This digital platform is a game-changer as it significantly speeds up the food clearance process, ensuring perishable goods don’t get stuck at borders while still meeting high safety standards.
What Happens When Unsafe Food Is Detected?
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Now, what happens if ADAFSA stumbles upon a shipment that doesn’t meet the health standards? Simple, they take immediate action. Either the contaminated shipment gets sent back to its country of origin or gets destroyed to prevent it from entering the market.
The authority has also implemented a system that integrates international food safety alerts. This means if any imported food has been flagged globally for health risks, ADAFSA can electronically recall those products from the market within minutes, ensuring that they never reach your plate.
And the best part? Importers are required to report the quantity of recalled food, ensuring full transparency and accountability.
Also Read: UAE: This Cafe In Abu Dhabi Was Shut Down By The ADAFSA For Posing A Danger To Public Health
Food Imports Are Growing, But So Is Safety
With over 85,000 new food products registered in the platform, each categorized by health risk levels, ADAFSA has ensured that every item undergoes a strict laboratory testing protocol before reaching local markets.
So, the next time you bite into your juicy burger or sip your morning latte, just know, ADAFSA had your back long before the food hit your plate!
Cover Image Courtesy: AD Media Office/Website
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