New testing device to ensure food safety in Dubai

The Dubai Central Lab (DCL) will introduce a new device by the end of this month to test bigger food samples and ensure public safety, officials said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Eng. Amin Ahmed Amin, director of DCL, said the testing device will allow authorities to inspect bigger capacity of fruits and vegetables that reaches to 600 types of samples a day. "Our current system takes in up to 260 kinds. The new device, operated by latest technology, will offer different types of inspections," said Amin.
Dubai Municipality (DM) tests food to ensure it's free of pesticides and fit for consumption.
Amin said the device will detect different types of chemicals in imported fruits and vegetables more accurately and quickly. "The device will be full-fledged in terms of capacity it can receive and the bigger scope it will cover to achieve higher food safety for both traders and consumers."
Iman Al Bastaki, director of food safety department at the DM, said the civic body has been focusing on testing bigger samples of fruits and vegetables to ensure higher food safety amid virus outbreaks.
Officials were speaking on the sidelines of an MoU signing that the municipality will sponsor the 10th edition of World of Perishables (WOP) that will be held from October 1-3.
The exhibition, which is expected to see participation of 38 countries, will be a platform for fresh produce businesses to explore ways to meet the rising demand for fresh vegetables and fruit products and to discuss industry best practices, prospective partnerships and opportunities.
Bastaki said she hopes that the exhibition will allow easier information exchange about the nature of testing in Dubai and the requirement needed for food and vegetables import.
The event, she said, becomes more significant since the UAE is a regional hub for re-export of fresh produce, with the quantity of such goods rising about 710,000 tonnes in 2017 worth about $1.6 billion, according to the International Trade Centre.

Kerala fruits, vegetables being monitored

Dubai municipality (DM) is working closely with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to ensure safe fruits and vegetables importation from Kerala after the fruit and vegetables ban was recently lifted.
"Although the ban has been lifted after World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the food to be free of Nipah virus, we still ask importers for certificate that the vegetables and fruits are safe," said Iman Al Bastaki, director of food safety department at the DM.
She added: "Countries has seen recent outbreaks, which is why the ministry prefers to test samples to ensure that vegetables and fruits are free of pesticides and chemicals. The samples we receive are generally fit for consumption, but once a problem is detected in a sample, it is disposed."
Ahmed AbdulKarim, assistant director general at the municipality for general support sector, said the general trust around Dubai's food safety has been beneficial to traders. "Ensuring food quality vegetables and fruits helps traders increase their business. About 35 per cent of them have re-exported their food, thanks to the trust of other countries in Dubai's safety standards," said AbdulKarim.
He added that the aim to promote the import and export of fresh vegetables and fruits in Dubai in general and in the Dubai Central Fruits and Vegetables Market in particular. "We will gather big traders in the UAE and consumers like hotels and international traders for both to benefit and exchange trade," he said.
The 2018 edition of the exhibition, which is the only event of its kind dedicated to the region's fresh produce industry, is expected to attract experts and specialists in the field of fresh produce, food safety, fresh food trade, technical equipment, transport and logistics.
The exhibition is a strategic platform for leading global companies in distribution, import and export of fresh produce. It also aims to highlight the important role of the DM in promoting trade exchange through the Dubai Central Fruits and Vegetables Market.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai

Sherouk Zakaria

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com