UAE bans imports of animal-protein cattle fodder

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has banned imports of cattle fodder made from animal protein. The move has been taken to ensure the safety of cattle being raised in the country for slaughter and public consumption.

Abdullah Sultan Abdullah, head of the Vet Quarantine Section at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, said, "Cattle-based dry processed food which may have been manufactured from animal protein imported from non-Muslim countries, or any country which does not follow the Islamic Sharia in slaughtering animals, has been banned for.

"This strict measure has been taken to ensure that contaminated animals and cattle food are not imported from any countries which have had scandals regarding contaminated cattle or dry food processed from animal protein.

"The vet quarantines have already refused shipments of dry processed cattle-based food after doubts were raised about their country of origin, contamination record, and from the testing at the quarantine labs," Abdullah said.

The dry processed cattle-based foods available in the UAE are all locally manufactured and 100 per cent safe according to international hygiene and health specifications, he said. "The vet quarantine centres have highly qualified doctors who constantly carry out tests on food products for import and distribution in the markets," he said.

"Strict measures are always taken with regard to imported food products and if any doubt arises from lab tests the products are rejected and returned to the country of origin."

Abdullah said all cattle and poultry farms in the UAE are using locally made animal food and regular checks on animals proved that their are no contaminated cattle or poultry in the country.