This presentation by the Food Control Department highlights what you need to know before re-exporting and importing food products to the UAE (registration process, labeling, shelf life regulations and much more.)

1. FOOD IMPORT
AND RE-EXPORT REQUIRMENTS

2. FOOD IMPORT REQUIRMENTS
Registration – Labeling (9-2007 STD) – Documents –
Halal Procedures - Shelf life Regulations

3. Before importing any food product, the importing
establishment must ensure that:
• It is registered with Dubai Municipality e-services.
To register in e-services you need the following:
1- Submit a registration request through Website www,.dm.gov.ae
2- Copy of a valid license in UAE related to any Food Activity.
3- Official company stamp.
• It is registered with the Food Import & Re-export System
(FIRS) program of the Food Control Department.
To register with FIRS you need to submit a trade license copy with the following:
• The company’s address (P.O Box, email, telephone & fax, contact
person name and his mobile No.
• Location details of the warehouse (warehouses) of the company in
Dubai (Zone, street, etc) and telephone & fax

4. • Approving the label for packaged food items:.
• The food label approval requires submitting an electronic application through
the Food Import and Re-Export system (FIRS). The application may include
one or more food items.
• The label shall contain the following:
1-Brand Name
2-Product name (a summarized description of the food product).
3-The food ingredients (arranged according to weight or volume).
4-Production & expiration dates of all products (except those which are exempted
from displaying the validity or expiration dates).
5-Name of the food manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer.
6-Net weight or volume.
7-Country of Origin

5. The label shall contain the following(contd):
8-Product’s barcode.
9-Lot number
10-Storage conditions (if the validity of the product depends on such
conditions).
11- Declaring if any ingredient causes hypersensitivity or requires special
using instructions.
12-Instructions for using the product (if needed).
13-Displaying the nutritional information is optional (except the products with
special uses such as baby foods, foods for patients, etc).

6. 14-Label’s Language
Language of the label should be in Arabic, If another language is used
beside Arabic, all the information should be exactly the same .
 Approved stickers could be used to translate the food labels into Arabic
Language.
The minimum requirements for the Arabic information on the label or
sticker are (Product name, The food ingredients , Country of Origin) and
any of following if required (Storage conditions , Declaring if any
ingredient causes hypersensitivity or requires special using
instructions, Instructions for using the product).

7. Approving the label for packaged food items
• Submitting samples of each food product or its label (or a copy
thereof which may be attached with the electronic application).
• Each food label shall be studied & appropriate modifications
will be noted
• In addition to approving the food label, laboratory testing may
be required before importing some products.
• Individual food standards (if any) shall be followed to avoid
committing any violations (such as presence of prohibited
ingredients, microbial or chemical requirements, etc)

9. Date marking requirements
•Production & expiration dates shall be mentioned on all food packages (some
exceptions apply) according to the following conditions:
Production & expiration dates shall be printed , embossed, or engraved on the
original package or label.
It is prohibited to write such dates manually or on a sticker (even the sticker
which is used for Arabic translation).
Double dates are not allowed (such indicating more than one production or
expiration date).
Production & expiration dates shall be clearly printed; and not easy to erase.
Day – month – year shall be indicated on food products with a validity of three
months or less. Month – year shall be indicated on food products with a validity of
more than three months

10. Remember!
• If the labeling approval for the food items is completed
successfully by Food Control, it is mandatory to register all food
items at the FIRS.
• Without doing so, you are not able to submit any application
through FIRS system services.
• The importing establishment should submit an electronic
import application through
• There are two types of import applications:
-Food import for local markets.
-Food import for re-export.

11. Transactions done during the importation of foodstuff
When the consignment arrives at the port of entry, the importing establishment should
bring the consignment at the inspection site of the Food Trade Section at the port of
entry accompanied with the following documents :
Bill of Entry or Airway Bill.
Delivery Order in case of containers.
An original Health Certificate approved by the governmental health authority at the
country of origin.
Consignment packing list.
An original Halal Certificate issued by an Islamic Organization which is approved by UAE
authorities (for meat or poultry and products thereof).
Any other certificates which might be required in case of any international epidemics or
any certificates required based on local decisions (such as GMO-Free Certificates, Avian
Flu-Free Certificates, Dioxin – Free Certificates, etc)

12. Be careful!
The consignment will be detained at the port of entry (Stop Delivery) in the
following cases:
Failure to submit a Health Certificate (or a copy thereof).
Failure to submit a Halal Certificate in case of meat, poultry and
products thereof.
The whole consignment is physically unsatisfactory.
The consignment has considerable and evident pest infestation.
The establishment is blacklisted due to unsettled violations.
There is an administrative order to ban the establishment
The activity of the importing establishment is not related to foodstuff

13. ATTRIBUTES OF THE NEW STANDARD
 The food products were divided into two categories:
mandatory & voluntary shelf life.
 The products subjected to mandatory shelf life are usually
sensitive & perishable.
 The food manufacturers decide the actual shelf life of their
products (which are included in the voluntary shelf life
category) and all other products which are not included in this
standard.

14. MANDATORY LIST

15. VOLUNTARY LIST

16. ( Products exempted from indication of
Expiration Date)

17. HALAL ISSUES
The Food is Halal if we ensure the following:
•Halal food is the food which is allowed according to the "Sharia`a and
should be fit for human consumption nutritious
•The meats or any products thereof are obtained from Halal animals which
were slaughtered according to the Sharia’a principles.
•The food does not contain any ingredient that is prohibited “Non-halal”
according to the "Sharia`a
•The food is not be mixed with any prohibited “Non-halal” foods during the
preparation, storage, manufacturing or transportation and displaying.

18. HALAL Certification
 UAE had procedures of Approving the Islamic Organizations at
the country of origin to monitor Halal Slaughtering for UAE.
 Parameters for approving Islamic Organizations which are
responsible for monitoring the Halal Slaughtering (abroad) for
U.A.E

19. FOOD RE-EXPORT REQUIRMENTS
• Re-export from the local market
• Import for re-export
• Mandatory re-export

20. Firstly: Food consignments Re-exported
to different countries
Normally the consignments are not inspected at the exporting port
As the establishments which produce these foods are subjected to
systematic routine inspections by the respective food control
authorities in UAE.
Or the products released normally in local market by food control
authorities in UAE .
However, exporting establishments may submit a request for issuing
export health certificates if the importing country requires such
certificates.
In this case, food establishments have to adhere to the procedures
related to health certificates (this is detailed below).

21. Secondly: food consignments imported by the
establishment for “re-export only” according to the
following conditions
•A grace period of 90 days is granted to re-export consignment.
•This period could be renewed subject to an approval by the
Food he Trade Section.
•The establishment should obtain documents which are issued
by the concerned authority proving that the consignment was
re-exported by through one of UAE ports. This could be in
form of an Exit Certificate detailing the quantities of the
exported items.
•If the establishment decided to sell the whole consignment or
any part thereof at the local markets, the whole consignment
shall be treated as a regular imported consignment.

22. Thirdly: Consignments which should be re-exported
(mandatory)
•The reason for this mandatory re-export is the rejection of these
consignments or any items thereof by the Food Trade Section as a
result of violating the approved standards and specifications or
being unfit to human consumption.
•The establishment should follow up these consignments
electronically as indicated in Table (2) which is concerned with
rejected consignments.
•A grace period of 90 days is granted to re-export consignment.
•The establishment should obtain documents which are issued by
the concerned authority proving that the consignment was re-
exported by through one of UAE ports. This could be in form of
an Exit Certificate detailing the quantities of the exported items

23. Services of issuing
export health certificates

24. • Issuing export health certificates to all
countries
• Issuing export health certificate to GCC
countries
• Issuing Radiation Free activity certificate

25. To get any food standard, please visit the Website of
Emirates Authority of Standardization & Metrology
(ESMA)
https://www.esma.ae
Abu Dhabi: 02-6711110
Dubai: 04-2944434

26. Thank you!
sstikarli@dm.gov.ae