Her Excellency Dr. Mariam Al Shenasi, the Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Water, met with the stakeholders to follow-up on the necessary preparations for the Middle East Conference and Exhibition for Eggs which will be held in collaboration with the exhibitions and conferences organizing company at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in March 26-28, 2013
During the meeting, the website of the Conference was launched http://www.eggmiddleeast.com which presents information and facts about eggs, eggs production in the Middle East, and its economic importance, in addition to the possibility of early registration for participants in the exhibition.
According to the Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs, the substantial increase in demand for livestock products played a vital role in the growth of the poultry industry in the country, where the domestic production of eggs is about 45% of the country needs, but still the UAE needs to raise the current production capacity of farms to reach self-sufficiency.
The foreign trade statistics of agricultural commodities in 2010 of imports of birds' eggs, with fresh or frozen crusts has reached 44,183 tons. Importing comes from the countries of the Americas, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the European countries, and importing eggs is prohibited from countries that appear to have bird flu cases and epidemic diseases in general.
H.E. Dr. Al Shenasi reassured, during the meeting, that the Ministry is working to protect the health of Man and animals on UAE land, through following reports issued by the World Organization for Animal Health on the health and the epidemiological status of world countries, and the application of laws and decisions related to protecting the UAE from pests entry and outbreaks, and to ensure travelers and merchants compliance with the decisions and conditions of quarantine, import and export, and in order to prevent the outbreak of any imported animal epidemic or contagious diseases -specially the diseases that could transmit to humans- to the country, where the ministry is working hard to raise biosecurity rate in the country as a strategic objective.
The Ministry of Environment and Water identified the terms of importing table eggs to the country and obtaining prior permission from the ministry in accordance with the quarantine procedures in the country, and that the exporting country must a surveying program for epidemic and contagious diseases, especially for the bird flu and the Newcastle disease. Besides, a valid veterinary health certificate must be issued from a governmental entity at the exporting country that mentions the sender's name and the consignee, the exporting country must be free from bird flu for at least six months prior to export, but in case of the use of vaccination programs against the disease, then the period must not be less than 12 months prior to export, and that the eggs are fresh and healthy, clean and fit for human consumption and are non-enriched and should be brought by the chicken herds that have been bred in farms licensed by the exporting country.
Another term mentioned in the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Water on the import of table eggs is noted by Dr. Mariam that acquiring a diseases-free certificate is necessary. A farm which has been tested for Salmonella, where the result was negative, but for farms that use vaccination programs against bird flu must submit a certificate from an accredited laboratory certifying that the herd is free from disease using DIVA test in a period not exceeding 21 days prior to export.
The resolution requires a certificate proving a bird flu disease-free for the region in which the farm exporting is located before 45 days of the date of shipment for at least 60 birds by the official health authorities along with a certificate from an accredited laboratory that states the results of investigation and tests conducted. Also, the shipping must be done in clean unused cartons, and indicating the dates of production and expiry, the name of the producing farm, and the country of origin.
Her Excellency added that the Ministry of Environment and Water requires -when importing eggs- that the eggs must have been sterilized and evaporated as defined by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) with an indication of the method used, and that each egg will be stamped with the production and expiry dates and the name of the producing farm. In addition, it is required that the eggs transportation methods shall be sterilized as well, according to the terms and conditions of the Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and a certificate stating trademarks used for egg products must be submitted that shows that the branding is done under the Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
In case of non-compliance and breach of terms, the consignments will be rejected and returned to the exporting country at the expense of the importer or will be confiscated and destroyed in accordance with the quarantine procedures in the country, and the places were the eggs were examined will be clean up with the viral disinfectants.