Abu Dhabi shuts down 38 food establishments for health violations amid safety crackdown

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) closed 38 restaurants and food establishments across the emirate during the first nine months of this year for violating Law No. (2) of 2008 on food, due to posing a risk to public health. The closures come as part of the Authority’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the food safety system.

The Authority intensified the inspection activities of its Food Safety Sector across restaurants and food facilities in the emirate, resulting in the administrative closure of 38 establishments after repeated violations, despite prior notices and warnings issued before the closure decisions.

ADAFSA called on all commercial entities that import food products to register their items through the Authority’s digital service platform.

It emphasized the importance of the “Food Product Registration Certificate” service, which acts as a gateway for exporting products from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The service enables businesses to obtain the official “Abu Dhabi Barcode (AD Barcode)”, which helps streamline procedures and enhance the flow of exports.

The Authority urged businesses to register each product only once, to eliminate repetitive procedures and open global export opportunities.

Through its online portal, the Authority explained that the service aims to provide each product with a digital identity, save time and effort, and ensure smooth export operations. A single registration replaces repeated procedures and allows both locally produced and imported food products to be registered in order to obtain a Food Product Registration Certificate for import or export through the emirate’s border points.

The Authority noted that the application steps include:

      •     Logging in to the service using the UAE Pass digital identity,

      •     Selecting the economic license profile,

      •     Filling in product information according to the preferred registration type,

      •     Downloading the Food Product Registration Certificate once the application is approved.

In August, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority obtained the ISO 42001:2023 international certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems—an unprecedented global achievement in the fields of agriculture and food security, and the first of its kind among government entities in the UAE.

This milestone reinforces the UAE’s regional and global leadership and supports its pioneering efforts in developing best practices and international standards.

The certification covers the use of advanced artificial intelligence technologies—such as smart analytics and machine learning algorithms—to enhance the efficiency of agricultural operations and food security services provided to the community.

It reflects the Authority’s commitment to applying the highest global standards in responsible and effective AI management, supporting digital transformation and sustainable development objectives.