The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has warned of food rumours, which have recently spread via social media sites and apps and websites, targeting certain food products, in publishing false and anonymous information, with the aim of questioning the quality of some of them. , and claiming that others contain an alcohol percentage of ethanol. ), and some of the lard derivatives, making them “non-halal” products, pointing out that these claims are unfounded rumours, and that there is no clear evidence to prove them.
Recently, social media platforms have witnessed widespread controversy among dozens of citizens and residents, over information posted on some “anonymous” pages about an internationally branded food product (cookies), claiming that It is not suitable for use in Islamic countries, as it contains It contains a percentage of ethanol alcohol and some lard derivatives, which makes it a “non-halal” product.
Opinions of social media users varied between demands to ban the import of such products in order to dispel doubts and close the door on any controversy over this matter, while another large segment agreed on the need not to be guided by such information. , as long as it comes from unreliable parties, in particular Some of them are issued by commercial entities, with the aim of distorting the products of their competitors.
Everyone agrees that the limitation of these rumors goes through several measures, the most important of which is not to disseminate or publish such information before having verified its authenticity with the official authorities, and the speed of treatment and interaction of relevant regulatory bodies in the country with this information. information, either by denying it or by confirming it, and by taking the necessary measures in this regard.
And the Agriculture and Food Safety Authority of Abu Dhabi, in its response to the spread of the rumor of biscuits containing percentages of alcohol and lard, in the markets, confirmed that the allegation according to which the product contains a percentage of alcohol, it should be noted that there are many food products which contain percentages A small percentage of ethyl alcohol (ethanol), since these percentages are the result of natural fermentations which occur during manufacture of these products, noting that this is a normal thing, and does not contradict the Gulf and UAE Standard Specifications for Maximum Residue Limits of Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol) in Foods.
The authority has emphasized that it is keen to verify that these products comply with the limits, proportions and controls contained in this standard, as the scope of the above standard indicates that these are the maximum limits for ethyl alcohol (ethanol) residues in food resulting from natural accidental fermentation in food (or used as a solvent for flavoring). ), which is acceptable to consider foods without ethyl alcohol (ethanol), and this standard prohibits the addition of wines, alcoholic products and ethyl alcohol. from alcohol (ethanol) to food absolutely at all stages of production and circulation.
She said that the standard itself indicates that the determination of certain percentages for the presence of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in food is not related to the safety or quality of the product, but rather to the requirements of the provisions of Islamic Shariah (Halal), noting that work has been done to publish this standard after approval by Shariah authorities. Gulf Certified. Regarding the claim that a product sold in the markets contains lard, which makes it a non-halal product, the authority stated: “This is a general claim which is not substantiated. on strong evidence, as product ingredients typically include flour, sugar, starch, cocoa, corn syrup, browning agents, salt, and oils. Or fats and emulsifiers such as (lyceline), and may also include other food additives , such as colors and flavors, and some of these ingredients, such as lyceline (as is also the case with gelatin and other ingredients) may be extracted from vegetable or animal sources, and extracted from other Animal sources does not mean exclusively that it is extracted from pigs, and therefore it is not permissible to generalize and link that the presence of these ingredients in food products means that they are extracted from pigs Products except in the case pros products shown on the food label as containing non-halal products or ingredients.
And she pointed out that “non-halal” products are not allowed to be displayed and sold except in places designated to sell them, and she also takes samples of these products and examines them in a laboratory to verify the sources of the components. animals. used therein, noting that it carries out periodic examinations of food products offered on the market to verify their quality, suitability and suitability for human consumption, and to verify their components and the sources of these components, and these shipments are not released and authorized for circulation in the markets except after ensuring their integrity and compliance with all necessary requirements, and that they do not contain unauthorized components or come from unauthorized sources, in over their compliance with specification standards and relevant technical regulations of the UAE.
• “Non-Halal” products are not permitted to be displayed and sold, except in designated areas.
• Social networking sites and applications that target food products by spreading false information about them.
Don’t get carried away by rumors
The Agriculture and Food Safety Authority of Abu Dhabi called on the public not to be misled by rumors related to food products, to verify their source and verify the validity of the information contained therein, with the need to communicate with her in the event of any information or complaints related to hostile security, through her social media accounts, or through the Abu Dhabi Government call center at number 800555, confirming that the teams of The authority’s inspection follow up on any notification they receive from consumers, and the consumer is also informed of the nature of the follow-up given to the communication he has submitted.
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