Dubai: A fruits and vegetable import ban starting May 15 on produce exceeding mimimum residue levels (MRL) of pesticides will not effect food markets in the UAE as safer supplies are available from other countries as well as from within the UAE, said the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on Thursday.
In a statement, Sultan bin Alwan Al Habsi, Assistant Under Secretary for Regions at the ministry, said the latest decision was aimed to ensure UAE consumer health is not compromised by long-term ingestion of excess chemicals.
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“This ban will not have any significant impact on the markets, both in terms of quantity or variety and the public need not be worried. There are many alternative sources from other countries and markets such as, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand, America, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, France, Italy, and Spain,” Al Habsi said.
Alternative sources of procude for UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- India
- Pakistan
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- South Africa
- The Netherlands
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- America
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
- Iran
- Turkey
- France
- Italy
- Spain
Local produce can meet domestic demand as well, he said, referring to UAE production of zucchini which has exceeded 18,500 tonnes and eggplant production which generated 18,555 tonnes for local markets.
The local production of peppers is 4,000 tonnes, he said.
“The existing products in the local markets are safe and do not pose direct threat to consumers’ health. The pesticide residues will not have effect unless the products containing residues are continuously kept for long time," the official said.
"Hence, the ministry has decided to ban some vegetables and fruits from select countries as a proactive step and precautionary measure to avoid a potential future danger to the health of consumers without affecting the availability and prices of banned products,” he added.
Banned from May 15
Fruits and vegetables exceeding maximum residue limits (MRL) of pesticides will be banned from importation into the UAE by May 15 to protect human health, officials said on Monday.
The ministry issued an advisory on April 24 noting that it has “banned imports of certain vegetables and fruits from select countries with effect from May 15, 2017 as those products have been found to contain pesticide residues in excess of permissible limits”.
“The countries that will be impacted by the ban include Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen,” the ministry said.
Unacceptable levels of pesticides in food imports were last reported in the UAE from India in May 2016 prompting similar concerns of safety,
The ministry did not reveal the degree to which some fruits and vegetables exceeded proper maximum tolerance levels of pesticides.
On Thursday, the ministry said that affected countries have been asked to “comply with the food safety standards adopted by the UAE. The ban on the above mentioned produce will continue until the necessary safety requirements are met and pesticide residues are cleared.”
Maximum residue levels (MRL) for pesticides are set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAA), a regulatory body governing food safety for the United Nations and World Health Organisation, and adopted by countries around the world.
“The maximum permitted levels of pesticide residues in foods are stipulated by regulatory bodies in the UAE. Exposure of the general population to such residues most commonly occurs through the consumption of treated food sources,” the ministry said in a statement.
