Abu Dhabi: Cheese products in Abu Dhabi markets are safe as they undergo regular food safety tests, the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (Adfca) said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Jalal Al Raisi, Director of Communication and Community Service Division at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), said the clarification is issued in the wake of a video clip that spread recently through social media, showing a fire test on different cheese products to claim that they contained a plastic substance.
“It is quite natural a product gets combusted when it is exposed to fire directly. The carbon compounds it contains get released as a result of high temperature, which subsequently leads to melting of the material before the combustion. As the cooking cheese normally contains additive emulsifying salts that help maintain strength and prevent fat, protein and water from separating each other, the appearance of black colour upon burning is a normal thing.”
“After all, burning isn’t a method to test the safety of food products,” he said.
“The footage gives the wrong message to the consumer that the safety and quality of a product can be tested by burning and simply sniffing, which is totally misleading. This unscientific testing has nothing to do with confirming the quality.”
“Even if the smelling of substances is included among various methods of quality testing, it needs a long process to reach conclusions. It has certain protocols and needs trained personnel and systems, in addition to chemical analysis to be carried out in parallel,” he said.
He urged the public not to fall prey to such wrong information and not to spread such clips before confirming the authenticity and accuracy of the reports from the official bodies concerned.
He said ADFCA is systematically following up these kinds of cases to investigate the accuracy of the content, in its efforts to maintain food safety levels in the emirate.
ADFCA has opened a number of communication channels including the contact centre number 800555, rumours follow up section on the website (www.adfca.ae) and several social media platforms managed by the ADFCA, apart from its frequent press statements and electronic media appearances.
