The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi General Administration of Customs, has modernised and developed a number of procedures for food importers at Abu Dhabi's border ports, a media report said.

The move reflects ADFCA's keenness to offer its customers a unique experience to complete their transactions in a smooth and quick manner by streamlining procedures to save time and effort for its customers, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

Thamer Rashed Al Qasemi, spokesperson of ADFCA, said that updating these procedures reflects the authority’s adherence to building bridges of cooperation with strategic partners, in its effort to integrate and ease procedures for food importers, as well as advanced services provided to them.

"The authority aims to reduce the length of providing services to customers, which previously required more time, such as inspection of imported food shipments. ADFCA also developed the system of collecting and analysing samples according to the products' risk level-based system, taking advantage of the previous databases of the samples' results," Al Qasemi added.

He pointed out that these updates included many features, procedures and services provided to food importers, such as free services at the emirate's border ports and extending working hours at ADFCA's Khalifa Port office. To ease customs clearance procedures of food shipments at Khalifa Port, ADFCA extended the inspection working days and hours from 7:00 to 23:00 every day of the week.

"The updates also covered procedures for the immediate release of food shipments in case of availability of the shipment's laboratory reports issued by government laboratories, and the validity of the report should not be more than three months," Al Qasemi said.

He noted that the importer can obtain direct approval to follow-up on the shipments being transferred between the country's different emirates through the federal system for food products classification and registration, ZAD.

The quick release of food shipments will ensure its entry to the domestic markets directly, Al Qasemi elaborated, adding that ADFCA's inspectors take samples from these shipments and analyse them efficiently in cooperation with the laboratories of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council.

Al Qasemi stressed that such updates would provide important services in areas of customs clearance and management of shipment movement at the country's border ports easily, safely and in record time, compared to the traditional procedures that have been followed over the past years.

He further asserted that ADFCA is always striving to contribute to realising the Abu Dhabi government's vision of building a secure society and a sustainable economy through promoting free trade and ensuring food safety.