Dubai: No horse in UAE meat, tests confirm

BY DUNCAN HARE

imgresThe Dubai food chief responsible for ensuring what’s on your plate is exactly as described on the tin insists there’s neigh chance any meat from horses is in the food here.

Europe’s food contamination scandal has grown at the speed a Grand National hero would be proud of and continues to rock the continent’s food industry.

This week Ikea banned the sale of its famous meatballs in stores in more than 20 European nations after equine DNA was discovered in the product. However, there’s no such issues when it comes to food in the UAE.

As a Muslim country, it’s essential meat sold here is stringently checked to ensure it’s halal. That has a reassuring knock-on effect, according to food chiefs.

“Any meat coming in here we do a test – a DNA test,” insisted Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadhi, the director of Dubai Municipality’s food control department. Al Awa­dhi said he was 100 per cent certain there were no meat products contaminated with horse meat in the emirate.

Dr Majdi Abdallah AbuAlush told delegates at Dubai’s Gulfood conference that there is a 15-step programme followed to ensure meat is halal. Meanwhile, Sultan Ali Al Taher, head of inspection at Dubai Municipality’s food control department, revealed details of food horrors found in Dubai. During one visit, raw sewage was seeping through the resta­urant’s drainage system onto its floors. “We closed it instantly,” he said.

However, he added that the number of “repeat violator” venues that had been closed due to “rodents, insects and pests” had dropped from 745 in 2011 to 327 last year.