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Selling food contact materials and kitchenware in the UAE

In the UAE, articles meant to touch food fall under Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2015. They meet the technical standards in its annex, are made under good manufacturing practice, carry "suitable for food contact" wording or the food contact symbol with use instructions, and hold an ECAS certificate. Dubai checks migration test reports at the port.

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

Main text
Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2015
Label
"Suitable for food contact" or the Annex 2 symbol
Certificate
ECAS, Model B
Test report
Under three years old
Dubai import
Migration test report (OML/SML) at clearance

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the article meant to touch food, and not one of the excluded items? Read more
  2. 2Does it meet the annex standards, with a migration test report? Read more
  3. 3Does the label carry the food contact wording or symbol and use instructions? Read more
  4. 4Is it certified under ECAS, or does it hold the Emirates Quality Mark? Read more
  5. 5If imported through Dubai, what does the consignment carry? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Scope

Which articles the food contact scheme covers.

  • Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2015 on the UAE scheme for the control of food contact materials (قرار مجلس الوزراء رقم 20 لسنة 2015) covers materials and articles meant to come into contact with food, under the standards in its Annex 1.
  • It excludes antiques, coatings that form part of the food, fixed public or private water supply equipment, and secondary packaging that does not touch food.
  • It also excludes materials used on production lines and materials for re-export.
  • Feeding utensils for children, such as cutlery to EN 14372, fall under the child care articles scheme of Cabinet Resolution No. 34 of 2019.

How we help: Compliant Always records which scheme each article falls under, with the reasons, kept with the product. Ask about this

Materials and manufacturing

What the article itself must meet.

  • Articles meet the technical standards listed in Annex 1 of the resolution.
  • They are made under good manufacturing practice, or a food safety or quality management system.
  • Bottled water in recycled PET follows Ministerial Decision No. 105 of 2022 and UAE.S GSO 2545:2021.

How we help: Compliant Always reads migration test reports against the material's standards and keeps them with the article and lot. Ask about this

Labelling

What a food contact article shows.

  • Labels follow UAE.S GSO 2231.
  • Articles carry the words "suitable for food contact" or the symbol in Annex 2 of the resolution.
  • They carry instructions and warnings for safe use where needed, in a way that is hard to remove.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your packaging for the food contact wording or symbol and the use instructions, and keeps the reading with each version. Ask about this

Certificate and test report

How an article is certified before sale.

  • Articles are certified under ECAS conformity assessment Model B.
  • MoIAT asks for a test report under three years old and a label meeting Annex 2.
  • A product holding the Emirates Quality Mark is accepted as meeting the scheme.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the ECAS certificate and test report with each article and shows when a report passes three years. Ask about this

Dubai port checks

How Dubai handles food contact materials at import.

  • Dubai Municipality does not register food contact materials in Montaji; they are handled at its port counters.
  • At clearance, consignments carry a material migration test report covering overall and specific migration (OML/SML).
  • Dubai's Food Code asks food businesses for food-grade certificates for materials in contact with food.
  • Dubai Municipality publishes a list of non-complying food contact materials.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps migration reports and food-grade certificates with each consignment, ready for a food business customer that asks. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerMaterials to the annex standards, GMP and migration testing.Test reports kept with each article and lot.
Importer or brand ownerThe label, ECAS certificate and port documents.Certificates and reports read and dated before shipment.
Food business customerUsing food-grade materials in its premises.Food-grade certificates ready to share 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 covers food contact materials in the UAE?
Cabinet Resolution No. 20 of 2015 on the UAE scheme for the control of food contact materials.
Do kitchenware products need a certificate in the UAE?
Food contact articles are certified under ECAS Model B, with a test report under three years old and a label meeting Annex 2.
What must a food contact label show in the UAE?
The words "suitable for food contact" or the symbol in Annex 2, with instructions and warnings for safe use, following UAE.S GSO 2231.
Which items are excluded from the food contact scheme?
Antiques, coatings that form part of the food, fixed water supply equipment, secondary packaging not touching food, production-line materials, and materials for re-export.
Do I need to register kitchenware in Montaji?
No. Dubai Municipality handles food contact materials at its port counters rather than registering them in Montaji.
What does Dubai ask for when food contact materials are imported?
A material migration test report covering overall and specific migration (OML/SML) at clearance.
Does the Emirates Quality Mark count for kitchenware?
Yes. A product holding the Emirates Quality Mark is accepted as meeting the food contact scheme.
Are children's feeding utensils covered?
Children's cutlery and feeding utensils, such as those to EN 14372, fall under the child care articles scheme of Cabinet Resolution No. 34 of 2019.
Does Dubai publish non-complying food contact materials?
Yes. Dubai Municipality publishes a list of non-complying food contact materials.
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.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the UAE and what your paperwork needs to show.

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