Cheese sold in Dubai doesn’t contain plastic: DM

Dubai — The Dubai Municipality has denied claims of a local physician that cheese available in the markets here contains plastic.

A video posted by the physician — showing a popular brand of cheese slice not melting, but burning like plastic when put on direct flame — had gone viral on social networking sites.

Saying that the cheese burned and smelt like plastic, the doctor said he has decided not to give processed cheese slices to his daughter and advised viewers also to do the same.

Khaleej Times found that this video followed a similar one posted in Mexico which had gone viral internationally and many others posted from different parts of the world.

Responding to the concerns raised, Assistant Director-General of Dubai Municipality Khalid Ali bin Zayed denied the presence of plastic in cheese slices sold here and assured the public that food sold in Dubai does not contain plastic and such impurities.

He said the food sold in Dubai is subject to periodic health examinations, and is thoroughly tested in labs to ensure that they don’t contain ingredients that could pose danger to consumers’ health and safety.

Explaining the reason for the plastic-type burning of the cheese slice, Director of Food Control Department Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadhi said the way the cheese is exposed to the direct flame is “an abnormal way of cooking it”.

He said cheese melts when exposed to low heat, but does not melt when directly exposed to high heat.

Food items, even when they are natural, contain a certain ratio of chemical substances, which may be affected by the method they are prepared and cooked, he explained. “Therefore, there are some definite and ... tested ways to process, make and cook food. For example, if you expose wheat grains directly ... to fire, they will look like coal. That is not the way to cook it,” said Al Awadi.

He said cheese slices are prepared using natural cheese, oil, water and emulsifiers among other ingredients. The emulsifiers are usually used to mix the normally immiscible water and fat content. It is used in products like mayonnaise, chocolate and salad sauce, among others.

“In cheese slices, emulsifiers help mix and hold protein and fat together and let the cheese remain firm ... But if you overheat it in high and direct heat it doesn’t melt, but burns.”

Another food safety specialist from the department said there is no need for any food safety concerns over the video, which, he said, does not consider basic scientific facts.

“The problem is even if we explain to people, who are misinformed and uneducated, they refuse to trust us. People are creating panic without trusting what we are doing. What we are taught at risk management is to only address real risks,” he told Khaleej Times. “Companies do their studies on product safety and thorough risk assessments are done by food labs and inspectors. When the ingredients are declared ... safe, there is nothing to be worried about ...” -sajila@khaleejtimes.com