How to Obtain Conformity Certificate to Sell Honey Products in the UAE?

Honey has a special place among food items owing to its wide range of applications as a curative, natural sweetener, beauty aid and antibacterial agent. Given its enormous commercial significance, honey products are regulated in the UAE as per the Cabinet Resolution No 49 of 2016. The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) controls and regulates the import, production and sale of honey products in the UAE. The product registration in the UAE with ESMA is a prerequisite for the sale of honey products.

The manufacturers, importers and distributors of honey products are required to ensure their products are registered with the ESMA before importing in the UAE. Before commencing the UAE product registration process, applicants need to understand in detail the types of regulated products, the necessary information to be supplied and the steps involved. You can have the assistance of product registration agents in Dubai to address such concerns. Meanwhile, this article would serve as a guide that will equip you with the right tools to successfully register honey products with the UAE ESMA. Read ahead.

Product Certification for Honey Products 

Honey products that are regulated need to undergo tests as per the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) to be eligible for distribution in the UAE market. Products that successfully meet the ECAS standards will be granted a Certificate of Conformity that make them eligible for sale in the UAE. The ECAS Certificate of Conformity helps the companies assure that their honey products comply with required standards specified by the ESMA. The advice of product registration agents in Dubai will make the process easier.

Types of Products Regulated under ECAS Scheme 

Honey products fall under the broader category of ‘Food’ as per the ECAS system. The following types of honey must be registered with the ESMA before its distribution in the UAE.

1. Blossom or nectar honey,  which is produced from the blossom nectar of plants
2. Honeydew honey is produced from the secretions of insects feeding on living sap or feeding on the secretions of the living parts of plants
3. Extracted honey, obtained by centrifugal force from honey-comb which is open and free from any of the insect growth phases
4. Pressed honey, obtained by pressing honeycomb which is free from any of the insect growth phases
5. Dried honey, obtained by drying honeycomb which is free from any of the insect growth phases
6. Comb honey: is honey that has been stored by worker honey-bees in newly formed waxen honeycomb cells which are free from any of the insect growth phases and are sold inside the closed honeycomb in the form of a complete comb or as parts of it
7. Honeycomb sections or blocks of it in liquid honey is honey which contains honey on one or more combs.
8. Filtered honey, obtained by filtering honey to clear it of grains of pollen
9. Crystallised honey- Formed when the honey gets crystallised under normal crystallisation conditions because of glucose crystallisation; the granules are fine homogeneous particles in size and soft

Key Requirements for ECAS Certification of Honey Products 

The documents and information you must supply for commencing the product registration in the UAE may vary depending on the scope of the products. It is always advisable to gather the necessary information from your trusted product registration consultants in Dubai before starting the process. The following are the major requirements for obtaining an ESMA conformity certificate for honey products in the UAE:

• Valid UAE trade license issued by mainland or free zone authority
• Product Sampling according to UAE.S GSO 126:1990 standard
• Test Report from an accredited and recognised laboratory as per the technical requirements mentioned under UAE.S GSO 147:2017 standards
• Validity of Test report should be less than three years
• Distributor ownership (for Traders only)
• Declaration for the followings:

– Food additives are not added to the Honey

– Natural and artificial sweeteners are not added

– The Honey is not heated or treated to the limit that changes its formulation or reduces its Quality – Not treated chemically and or bio-chemically

– Declaration of Conformity

• Certificate of GHP, GMP, FSMS for the manufacturer
• Organic Certificate from ESMA or any recognised body from MOCCAE if the product declared as organic
• Label of the Product

Process of ESMA Product Registration in the UAE 

Once all the documents are ready, you need to file a formal application. The documents can be submitted to the ESMA website with the help of product registration agents in Dubai, UAE. ESMA officials will review the documents and if required standards are met registration will be granted after paying the official fee. If standards are not met, the authority may ask for further tests or re-submission of documents.

Get Help from Jitendra Intellectual Property 

Honey is an agricultural product with wide commercial and industrial use and therefore it is regulated by ESMA. The manufacturers, importers and distributors need to ensure that the honey products meet the ESMA standards before placing them on the UAE market. Navigating the process of product registration in the UAE can be a tough task given the highly streamlined steps set out by the ESMA.

However, you need not worry about the lengthy steps when applying through the best product registration agents in Dubai such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP). JIP is an intellectual property firm that also provides bespoke product registration services in Dubai, UAE. Our product registration consultants in the UAE are well-versed in the safety and quality standards set out by the ESMA. Obtaining a conformity certificate for your products is no longer a tough nut to crack if you hire our services. JIP can simplify the process so that you may enter the UAE market without any hassle.