When it comes to agriculture, the UAE rarely gets a mention as the country imports 80% to 90% of its food requirements. Water scarcity, arid climate and limited arable land are the chief obstacles that prevent the country from making big strides in conventional agriculture. Organic food farming is becoming vibrant in the region with the help of unconventional farming techniques. However, conducting product registration in the UAE is mandatory for organic food products that are cultivated in or imported into the country before being sold in the market.
Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) issues conformity certificates for organic products to make them eligible for sale. ESMA decides the technical standards for organic products to ensure that the consumers get healthy foods that are safe for consumption. Products that fail to obtain the ESMA conformity certificate in the UAE are not eligible for sale. You can get your products certified with ESMA with the help of product registration agents in the UAE. Read ahead to understand the tests, assessments, and procedures set out by ESMA for the issuance of conformity certificates for organic products.
Product Certification Scheme for Organic Products
All organic food products that are intended to be sold in the UAE market are being tested under the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) implemented by the ESMA. Organic produce cultivated in the UAE farms will be subject to facility assessment tests under ECAS. Personnel authorised by the ESMA will visit the farms to check if the facility complies with the ECAS standards. Product registration agents in the UAE can make the process simplified for you.
Scope of Products under Organic Products Registration
The ECAS covers organic foods and their inputs that are produced in the UAE or imported from other countries. It includes the following:
- Organic crop production
- Organic Livestock (includes organic poultry)
- Processed organic food (Seaweeds Production, Organic Honey, Organic Fish Production, Organic Eggs)
The Registration and issuance of Conformity certificate for Organic Products set out in the ECAS follow the technical requirements of the Ministerial Resolution No. 84 for the year 2012. The chief requirements for various product categories are as follows.
Requirements for Crops
- Farm ownership Trade License / industrial License
- A declaration of conformity for the products
- Label and/or MSDS for all substances disease control, pest control, soil amendments, sanitation agents, seed treatments and inoculants
- Label/ Organic Certificate(s) for all purchased organic seed varieties and invoices
- Fertiliser purchase and consumption rate
- Test report- Water, Soil and Crops. In the case of compost produced from their farm needs to be tested against pesticide, heavy metal analysis, GMO-free test etc.
- Farm Map(s), Yard Map(s), Production Unit (Field) Map(s)
- Field Management History & Plan- cleaning record for the vehicle, storage
- Planting harvesting and sales record
- Product label
Requirements for Livestock
- Trade license / Industrial license
- Declaration Of conformity for the Products
- Test report- water and feed analysis
- Disease management plan- how to treat the diseased livestock and its management
- Vaccination schedule if vaccinating and its label
- Invoices- livestock, treatment substances etc
- Cleaning record- sanitisers and their label
Requirements for Processed Food
- Trade license / Industrial license
- Declaration Of conformity for the Products
- Process flow- OCP
- Test report- water and product
- Organic certificate for the product procured from the supplier
- Pest control practice
- Organic Product Profile
- Label Proof for all organic labels
- Proof for advertisements bearing organic claims
- Label and/or MSDS for all sanitation agents
- Label and/or MSDS for all pest control substances
Procedures of Registering Organic Products with ESMA
The farmers, manufacturers and importers should undertake certain streamlined steps to complete the process of product registration in the UAE. The entities are required to apply first with all the required documents. The ESMA conformity assessment body will review the application and assign an inspection body to audit and inspect the applicant’s facility to ensure compliance with mandatory standards.
The inspection body will submit its report and recommendations to the conformity assessment body. The inspection results will then be presented to the applicant. You are required to take the necessary action to fix any non-conformity. The conformity assessment body will then issue a certificate and the license to use the ESMA mark for the organic food product. Product registration agents in the UAE can ensure that your organic products get faster approval from ESMA.
Labelling Rules for Organic Products
For completing the process of product registration in the UAE, the applicant should include the following labelling information in both English and Arabic languages:
- Input name / inputs name
- The production process of the organic product
- Amount of input contents and organic contents in percentage
- Products with organic inputs should state that the input is organic
Register through the Best Product Registration Agents in Dubai, UAE
Farmers, importers and distributors of organic food products must obtain a Conformity Certificate from the ESMA to sell their products in the UAE market. Conducting product registration in the UAE is mandatory because organic food products that don’t bear the ESMA mark will be seized from the market. In the case of imports, products without ESMA certificates will be blocked at the port. However, businesses may find some of the requirements and steps of product registration in the UAE a bit too complex.
An easy solution for such compliance woes is to register through the best product registration agents in Dubai such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP). JIP’s agents are well-versed in the legal requirements associated with obtaining a conformity certificate for organic food products and other products. We can simplify the process of labelling, quality tests, and factory/facility assessments for various products.