Resolution of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Agriculture and Food Safety No.2 of 2020 to issue a system for controlling imported foods to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

This Resolution consisting of 16 articles aims at (i) applicating a regulatory system based on the degree of health risk associated with the imported foodstuff, so that they are classified and arranged according to the purpose of their use; (ii) optimizing the use of resources and distributing efforts according to priorities based on the principles of risk analysis; (iii) strengthening the regulatory system based on the degree of health risk of food safety standards of high risk to human health; (iv) increasing consumer confidence and maintaining the level of health protection; (v) encouraging investment and facilitating trade with regional and international partners; and (vi) applying the appropriate inspection level and standardizing procedures across the Emirate. To this end, it is established that (i) must be obtained a prior approval from the competent authority regarding the food card of imported foodstuffs; (ii) regarding transportation, storage and handling, the imported foodstuffs must be in conformity with the UAE and Gulf legislative requirements; (iii) food establishments must keep records and documents; (iv) imported foods are classified in six levels according to the degree of their risk to human health (art.8); (v) the appropriate level of inspection is applied taking into account the risk concerned the foodstuff, factory, or country of origin; (vi) any government agency concerned with food control may prohibit the entry of a commercial food consignment; and (vii) a commercial food consignment shall be seized if it enters the Emirate for the first time, or if a warning or prohibition has been issued by any country or international or regional Organization.