DM to enhance implementation of food code

By Rayan Sheety

June 25, 2013

Dubai: The Dubai Municipality (DM) has accelerated the pace of activities to support the effective implementation of a food code for eateries and other food establishments implemented recently to ensure international standards of food safety in Dubai. 

The latest event was held in Hotel Armani recently and was aimed at sharing the idea of the comprehensive code with various government food control bodies. 

Khalid Mohammed Shareef, Director of the DM food control department, presented various dimensions of strategies to be adopted for the effective implementation of the food code.

More than 60 officers representing various government bodies like the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Ministry of Health, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, Tecom, Dubai Ports and Customs, Dubai International Financial Centre and so on participated in the programme.

With the release of the code, Dubai became the first city in the region to produce such a guideline that could be used by the entire food industry.

“Dubai’s vision is to establish a world-class food safety system that helps provide safe food to the residents and the several millions that visit the Emirate each year. In addition, we would like the system to ensure safe production and distribution of food and also its safe import and export,” said Shareef.

He further said that the DM’s vision would become a reality only when the government, food industry, service providers, educational and research organisations and the consumers collectively commit to working together and applying sound principles of food safety based on science and research. 

The DM began the process by promoting a positive food safety culture among food establishments in the Emirate, through urging the managements to be responsible and accountable through the proprietary Person In-Charge (PIC) programme introduced in 2010.

The key references for the code are similar codes issued in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland and Hong Kong. 

The code will be revised from time to time and the revisions will be issued as supplements.