Abdulla Al Maeeni (ESMA) and Tom Chestnut (NSF International Global Food Safety and Quality Division) at a partnership signing ceremony.
As of October 2014, Emirates Quality Mark certification will be mandated for all bottled waters sold in the United Arab Emirates.
NSF International, a global independent public health organisation that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the water, food, health sciences and consumer goods industries, has been approved by the Emirates Standard Metrology Authority (ESMA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to provide auditing and testing for the Emirates Quality Mark certification of bottled drinking water.
The Emirates Quality Mark verifies that products are compliant with the relevant UAE, international and Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO) standards and are manufactured by an organisation implementing an effective food safety management system (FSMS) to ensure continuous compliance.
By October 2014, Emirates Quality Mark certification is mandatory for all bottled waters sold in the UAE from both local and international bottlers. Manufacturers of bottled drinking water certified to the Emirates Quality Mark will undergo an on-site audit by NSF International to assess conformity with UAE standards and regulations.
The bottling facility will be audited for implementing food safety programmes, including a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system and Good Manufacturing Practices, and the product will be reviewed for microbiological and chemical quality.
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