Food Product Registration in Dubai

Food Product Registration in Dubai | Dubai Municipality

There is a vast market for food products in Dubai. Dubai in UAE is a deserted area with very little production of crops and other foodstuffs. On contrary, the population of Dubai is increasing rapidly due to the influx of a large number of foreigners. This makes Dubai an ideal place for the import and manufacture of food products. The government of Dubai is committed to providing all necessities of life of high standard to its citizens and ex-pats.

To ensure this, there is also a complete procedure for food product registration in Dubai like other types of products. This procedure is quite strict and its main aim is to allow only the best food products in Dubai, free from all types of harmful effects. Through food product registration, companies are allowed to import, manufacture, distribute (in the local market) and re-export products in other countries. Thus, it provides complete trade facilities to traders and merchants.

Food Supplement Registration

The main requirement is food product registration with DM (Dubai Municipality). DM registers all food products on its Food Import & Re-export System (FIRS)
Ingredients in all products along with the brand name, product name, manufacture/expiry date, net weight must be mentioned. Using incorrect labels or publishing false descriptions will result in a fine from AED 10,000 to AED 100,000
You will be required to submit all relevant documents in DM including the company’s trade license, email, telephone/fax number, location in Dubai, and name and mobile number of the company’s representative
In case of imported goods, it is necessary to submit additional information and documents like a packing list, original health certificate from country of origin, and Halal certificate from an approved Islamic organization
For food product label approval in DM, the company is required to mention shelf life, country of origin, storage condition, etc. on the label
You can’t apply for prohibited items including alcohol, poppy seed, and others mentioned by authorities
The food officer will take the sample of a product that will be lab-tested in the food department in Jebel Ali for a standard checking
Further quality of a food product will be checked by ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology)
You can’t register non-food items like health supplements. There is a different procedure for the registration of such products
Name and account of any food product must be unique

Benefits of Food Product Registration

Following are important benefits that are available to traders after registration of food products.

This will allow placing a food product in the highly profitable market of Dubai, UAE, and other Gulf countries
Traders will be allowed to manufacture and re-export their food products in the country of their choice using the tax-free benefits of Dubai
Dubai’s registration process has now been integrated with ZAD (a federal portal for food trade). This enhances food safety and increases the value of food registration in Dubai for international trade