The UAE's supermarkets are filled with food from all over the world, but many shoppers are left in the dark by Arabic labels that are poorly placed or provide incomplete information.
"It's the same everywhere," said Georgina Hardman, a British shopper at Choithram's in Jumeirah. "It's annoying. "
Since 2008, companies that import food products to the Emirates are legally required to provide important information in Arabic on the pack. This includes the product, manufacturer, ingredients and weight. It can be on the pack itself or on an affixed sticker.
But sloppily placed stickers at times cover ingredients, nutritional facts, or cooking instructions - information on which many people rely, none more so than those with food allergies.
When labels are misplaced, there is little recourse for supermarkets, which rarely reject shipments due to misplaced labels. They do, however, sometimes contact manufacturers to complain.
"As soon as possible we try and keep them informed and make sure the manufacturers know the rules," said V Nandakumar, a spokesman for LuLu stores.
When possible, he added, staff will remove the stickers and put them back again - a tricky task, according to Christina Pervaiz, a shopper.
"If it's over something I really want to see, I'll peel the label off," said the American, who was shopping at Carrefour in Mall of the Emirates.
"Most of the time, the English label comes right off with the Arabic." According to the director of Dubai municipality's food control department, inspectors do keep an eye out for labelling problems when visiting supermarkets.
"Sometimes it's a misunderstanding," Khalid al Sharif al Awadi said. His department has never received any complaints about improper labelling, but would contact manufacturers if problems were identified. He urged consumers to contact the department on 04 223 2323 with any concerns.
Some retailers have refused products with damaged labels. A supervisor at a hypermarket in Jumeirah that caters to Emirati shoppers said that if the Arabic label is ripped, the shipment will be returned to the supplier.
Even if the label is intact, nutritionists say the regulations do not demand enough information for Arabic speakers to make informed choices.
"The labelling has to be translated as a symmetrical parallel," said Jane Darakjian, a nutritionist at Dubai's Manchester Clinic.
Arabic labels, she said, should include nutritional values, regardless of whether the food is processed or ready-made. While the UAE's labelling regulations are similar to those elsewhere in the region, many western countries demand more information on imports.
In Canada, labels must have French and English and a standardised panel carrying nutritional information. They also must list weight, ingredients, allergens and all health and nutritional claims.
The European Union is reconsidering food labels to help its multilingual population make informed purchases. Legislation is under consideration that would standardise labels, as well as display key nutritional information, including salt, fat and sugar content, on the front of the pack.
mdetrie@thenational.ae
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