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Selling food in the UAE

In the UAE, food is governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety. Food must be registered in the federal ZAD system before it is traded, labelling standards such as UAE.S 9:2019 are mandatory, and food imported for the first time needs the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's approval. The emirates enforce.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Main law
Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety
Product registration
The federal ZAD system, before the food is traded
Label standard
UAE.S 9:2019, mandatory since Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020
Label language
Arabic, with other languages alongside
Who enforces
ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi; municipalities in Dubai and Sharjah
Alerts
The National Rapid Alert System for Food

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the food registered in ZAD, and has its label been checked against the standards? Read more
  2. 2Does the label meet UAE.S 9:2019, the nutrition labelling standard and the claims standard? Read more
  3. 3Does it contain meat or animal-derived ingredients that need a halal certificate? Read more
  4. 4Is this the first import, and what does each consignment need at the port? Read more
  5. 5Is the net quantity declared in the form the prepackages regulation sets? Read more
  6. 6Can you trace each lot and recall it if the authority asks? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Food safety law and registration

The federal food law, and the registration a food needs before it is traded.

  • Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety sets standards for the safety and quality of food and penalties for endangering food safety across the UAE (u.ae).
  • Under Ministerial Decree No. 239 of 2018, food that is imported, produced locally, or modified in its label, ingredients or composition must be registered in the electronic system ZAD before it is handled in UAE markets.
  • Misleading consumers with a false description of food or incorrect labels carries a fine of AED 10,000 to 100,000 under the law, as summarised on u.ae.
  • The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment works with its partners, through the National Food Safety Committee, on implementing the law and its executive regulations.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the ZAD registration and the label it was based on with the product, dated, and shows when a recipe or label change means the record needs updating. Ask about this

Labelling, nutrition and claims

The mandatory food standards and what a prepacked label must carry.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020, issued on 2 January 2020, made five food standards mandatory, including UAE.S 9:2019 (labelling of prepackaged foodstuffs), UAE.S GSO 2233:2019 (nutritional labelling) and UAE.S 2333:2019 (permitted health and nutrition claims). Businesses had 180 days to comply.
  • The same resolution made UAE.S MRL1:2019 on maximum residue limits for pesticides mandatory.
  • Dubai Municipality's Food Code says prepacked food may not be imported or sold unless its label carries the information the Food Control Department requires, in Arabic.
  • Labels may not carry false or misleading statements about the food's nature, composition, origin or effects, nor words or images offensive to religion or to the country's values.
  • Prepacked food sold as individual units carries a date mark with the production and expiry dates, and the date mark may not be removed or altered.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label artwork against the mandatory standards and the Food Code particulars, so a missing Arabic field or date mark shows before the label is printed. Ask about this

Halal and non-halal food

When a halal certificate is required, and how non-halal products are handled.

  • Under Cabinet Decree No. 10 of 2014 on the UAE system for control of halal products, an establishment obtains a halal certificate for its final products and raw materials from halal certification bodies registered by MoIAT.
  • The Halal National Mark, issued by MoIAT, is optional.
  • In Dubai, raw meat and poultry need halal slaughtering certificates, and processed meat and foods containing meat, poultry or ingredients of animal origin such as gelatin need halal certificates; seafood is excepted.
  • Dealing in food containing pork or alcohol, or their by-products, without permission carries a prison term of at least a month and a fine of up to AED 500,000 (u.ae).
  • In Dubai, non-halal products need a prior permit from the Food Control Department, and their labels state the ingredients in Arabic and English and that the product is non-halal.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each halal certificate with the product and ingredient it covers, with the issuing body and expiry date, and shows which ones lapse before the next shipment. Ask about this

Import and port checks

What the first import and each consignment need.

  • No food may be imported into the UAE for the first time without the approval of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (u.ae).
  • Dubai's Food Code requires importers to register with the municipality's systems, have the label checked before import, and register each imported item individually.
  • Each consignment into Dubai carries a health certificate stating the quantities and description of the food and that it was made in an establishment licensed and supervised by the competent authority in the country of origin.
  • Imported food and food contact materials are inspected at the port of entry, and samples may be taken for laboratory analysis.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the health certificates, halal certificates and lab reports behind each consignment with its lot, and shows what is missing before the goods reach the port. Ask about this

Net quantity

How the quantity of a prepacked product is declared.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024 applies to prepackages of constant and variable nominal quantity sold in the UAE, made locally or imported.
  • The label states the product name, the information needed to trace it to the packer, importer or manufacturer, the nominal quantity and the unit, in Arabic; other languages may be added.
  • Words such as "minimum", "not less than", "average", "approximately" and "about" are not used with the nominal quantity.
  • For solid food packed in a liquid, the drained weight is stated clearly.

How we help: Compliant Always checks the quantity statement on your artwork against the prepackages regulation and keeps the check with the label version. Ask about this

Traceability, alerts and recall

Tracing food through the chain, and what happens when it is unsafe.

  • The National Rapid Alert System for Food sets how serious food risks are managed, including border rejections and adulterated products, and classes incidents as high, medium or low.
  • Dubai's Food Code requires businesses to identify their suppliers and the businesses they supply, and manufacturers to trace product lots through raw materials, processing and distribution.
  • Manufacturers, importers and distributors withdraw or recall food that is unsafe, adulterated, or does not conform to Islamic law or the norms of the UAE, and recall food when the authority orders it.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each certificate and test report to the lot and supplier it came from, so a recall question is answered from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ImporterThe first-import approval, ZAD registration and the documents each consignment needs at the port.Consignment documents read and dated before the goods leave origin.
ManufacturerMaking the food to the mandatory standards, with the halal, health and test certificates behind it.Specifications and certificates kept with each product and lot.
Brand ownerWhat the label says, in Arabic, and the claims it makes.Label artwork read against the mandatory standards, version by version.
Retailer and distributorSelling only registered, in-date food, and taking part in withdrawals and recalls.Supplier documents on file and answers to retailer questionnaires drawn from the record.

Emirates

Federal law and MoIAT's technical regulations apply across the seven emirates. The Product Safety Law applies to products placed on the market in the UAE, free zones included.

Food safety is enforced locally: the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority in Abu Dhabi, and the municipal authorities in Dubai and Sharjah (u.ae).

Dubai Municipality also requires regulated consumer products, such as cosmetics, detergents, health supplements and toys, to be registered in its Montaji system before they are placed on the Dubai market.

Questions businesses ask

Which law governs food safety in the UAE?
Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety. It sets standards for the safety and quality of food and penalties for endangering food safety, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment works with its partners on implementing it.
Do I need to register food products in the UAE?
Yes. Under Ministerial Decree No. 239 of 2018, imported and locally produced food, and food whose label, ingredients or composition is modified, must be registered in the electronic ZAD system before it is handled in UAE markets.
Do I need approval to import a food into the UAE for the first time?
Yes. No food may be imported into the country for the first time without the approval of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, according to the u.ae summary of Federal Law No. 10 of 2015.
Which labelling standard applies to prepacked food in the UAE?
UAE.S 9:2019, Labelling of Prepackaged Foodstuffs, made mandatory by Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020, alongside UAE.S GSO 2233:2019 on nutritional labelling and UAE.S 2333:2019 on health and nutrition claims.
Does a UAE food label have to be in Arabic?
Yes. Dubai's Food Code requires the label's information in Arabic, and Cabinet Resolution No. 83 of 2024 requires the quantity label in Arabic, with other languages allowed alongside.
Can a food label make a health claim in the UAE?
Health and nutrition claims are governed by UAE.S 2333:2019, Permitted Health and Nutrition Claims Made on Food and Their Conditions of Use, which Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2020 made mandatory.
Does food sold in the UAE need a halal certificate?
In Dubai, raw meat and poultry need halal slaughtering certificates, and processed meat and foods with meat, poultry or animal-origin ingredients such as gelatin need halal certificates; seafood is excepted. The federal Halal National Mark is optional.
What is the penalty for a misleading food label in the UAE?
Publishing a false description of food or using incorrect labels carries a fine of AED 10,000 to 100,000, according to the u.ae summary of Federal Law No. 10 of 2015.
Who inspects food in the UAE?
The emirates. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority covers Abu Dhabi; the municipalities cover Dubai and Sharjah, checking labels and expiry dates and inspecting stores and restaurants.
What must a food business do if its product is unsafe?
Under Dubai's Food Code, manufacturers, importers and distributors promptly withdraw or recall unsafe or adulterated food, and recall food when the authority orders it. The national rapid alert system manages serious food risks.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the UAE?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the federal schemes and the emirate-level registrations. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

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