QCC Conducts lab tests to verify quality and safety of date products in Abu Dhabi

In a statement, QCC said the tests were conducted by the Council’s Central Testing Laboratory on both local and imported date products.

The lab tests were conducted with the help of state-of-the-art equipment and in line with local and international norms of conformity to specifications. QCC said the Central Testing Laboratory’s date inspection service will help farmers, manufacturers and regulatory authorities to ensure quality and food safety of their products before they are offered in the market.

“The tests are conducted to make sure that the dates are fit for human consumption and complies to specifications laid out by the regulatory authorities,” said Eng. Abdullah Hassan Al-Maini, Executive Director of the Central Testing Laboratory, adding that the lab conducts tests on multiple samples to ensure conformity to food safety and quality norms, and to guarantee that dates are free of pesticide residues.

He said the Central Testing Laboratory plays a salient role in contributing to the strategic goal of Abu Dhabi in food security, ensuring quality of food products. These tests spanning physical, chemical, biological and radiological inspections help maintain fair trade norms in Abu Dhabi while protecting community health, Eng. Al Maini said.

The testing services of the laboratory is provided to both public and private sector entities and the inspections are carried out in cooperation with the regulatory authorities. The benefits of these services lead to higher productivity and achieving higher quality ratios of date products leading to increased commercial value.

The testing procedures on date products take five to seven days since they are done in detail across checks on yeasts, fungi, coliform bacteria, heavy metal traces, sugar, pesticide residues, in addition to radioactive cesium testing and toxicological screening, Eng. Al Maini said.

He said the Central Testing Laboratory’s goal is to ensure date products comply with quality norms of Abu Dhabi, safeguarding public health.