Abu Dhabi Food and Control Authority announces new regulations to protect food from heat

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) is tightening regulations regarding the delivery of food to ensure it does not go off in the heat.

The regulations, introduced yesterday, state food items must be transported at temperatures between 1 and 5C. Frozen items must be stored below minus 18C. Dry foods and liquids must be stored at temperatures between 25C and 30C.

Major retailers

Major food establishments such as Carrefour, Spinneys and Lulu Hypermarket already have their own rigorous standards for transporting food. However, the new regulations are likely to have a greater impact on smaller businesses.

Water delivery companies are notorious for delivering water in open and uncontrolled temperature trucks. For Radwan, a water delivery company in Abu Dhabi, the implications of this new regulation are huge.

"Of course this will affect us financially. All our trucks right now are closed, but we don't have climate-controlled trucks. It's dependent on the outside temperature," Khalid Ali a spokesperson for the Radwan Water Company told Gulf News. While Ali rejected the concept that heat is bad for water, he said: "We will have to follow the rules, but the impact will be significant. We will have to install cooling systems in each of our 22 trucks. This will increase our diesel consumption."

The implications of the new regulation are too early to predict but some retailers say this will inevitably affect prices and consumers will be hit.

"We will have to raise the price of our water to balance this and divide the cost," Ali said.

The ADFCA has given a grace period of three months for businesses to make the proper adjustments for delivery. The regulations will come into effect on November 17.

An ADFCA spokesperson says this new regulation will help bring Abu Dhabi on a par with standards in developed countries.

Awareness campaign

"The problem is that we have these [food] items coming from countries where temperatures are not as hot as here. We are going to be developing an awareness campaign among businesses to promote this idea.

"At this point we are not going to be going out and checking every single delivery truck, but when businesses are renewing their annual licence we will be inspecting. Those who are found to be violating the regulation will have their licence revoked," the spokesperson said.

Health focus: Keeping it cool

• 18C for frozen items
• 1 to 5C for items such as fruit and vegetables
• 25 to 30C for dry foods and liquids such as water and juices.
  

July Report for the ADFCA:

• Total number of inspections: 1,662
• Warnings issued: 541
• Fines: 54
• Closure of stores: 15
• Complaints: 34

- Source: Abu Dhabi Food and Control Authority