ADAFSA Conducts Over 103,000 Food Safety Inspections In Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) conducted over 103,000 inspection visits last year, covering all food establishments within the emirate. This effort is part of ADAFSA's ongoing commitment to enhancing food safety in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi City accounted for over half of the inspection visits, with approximately 63,690 visits. Al Ain City saw around 29,583 visits, while the Al Dhafra region had 9,998 inspections. This announcement coincides with World Food Safety Day, celebrated on 7th June each year.

ADAFSA reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe and healthy food for the Abu Dhabi community. This is achieved through effective regulatory systems and comprehensive awareness programmes in agriculture and food based on international best practices and risk analysis principles.

Smart Inspection System

The implementation of ADAFSA's smart inspection system has facilitated over 490,000 inspection visits since its launch. The system utilises artificial intelligence and GPS technology to locate food establishments and carry out daily field tasks for food inspection.

The application automatically schedules inspections, provides contact information for relevant stakeholders, allows access to the establishment's historical record, enables photography and document attachment, and shares the final inspection report with the customer via email or phone.

Zadna Rating Application

The "Zadna Rating" application, launched by ADAFSA to share food establishment assessment results with the public, has seen a significant increase in participating food establishments. Over 9,000 establishments in Abu Dhabi are now part of this initiative.

This has contributed to a compliance rate of over 73% among food establishments. The application allows consumers to view assessment results based on food safety levels and participation in the "Sehhi" programme of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.

Unified Control Project

ADAFSA highlighted its efforts within the Unified Control Project in Abu Dhabi, involving ten government entities. The project aims to unify regulatory bodies' efforts to enhance the control system in all its forms in Abu Dhabi.

Training and Capacity Building

ADAFSA organised 85 training courses in food safety to build employee capacity for food control and inspection tasks. The authority also collaborated with partners and customers in organising events and exhibitions, supervising over 1,500 events in 2023.

Essential Food Safety Training Programme

The Essential Food Safety Training Programme (EFST) has developed the skills of over 230,081 food handlers since its launch. Participants have obtained certified certificates, enhancing their knowledge of food safety requirements.

International Representation

ADAFSA represents the UAE in meetings of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Near East (CCNE), exchanging best global practices in food safety. In the first quarter of this year, ADAFSA participated in 11 Codex meetings and completed eight reports reflecting successful Emirati experiences.

Awards and Recognition

ADAFSA received the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) award from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of the United Nations. The award recognises ADAFSA's excellence in innovation and implementation of the Food Imports and Exports Platform (FIEMIS).

Food Imports and Exports Platform

The FIEMIS provides a single window for importers and exporters to submit and track orders. It facilitates procedures for imported food products based on ADAFSA's database. The platform also offers a service for releasing imported food shipments before arrival at the port.

This contributes to facilitating food trade and increasing the attractiveness of imports through Abu Dhabi ports.

With inputs from WAM