Food Safety Records in the UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Other Emirates

UAE food safety records explained: Dubai Food Code and Foodwatch, Abu Dhabi ADAFSA and Zadna, records inspectors ask for and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in the UAE need food safety records? Yes. In the United Arab Emirates food control is run by each emirate, so the exact rules depend on where you are. In Dubai you need a documented HACCP-based food safety programme and must register on Dubai Municipality's Foodwatch system. In Abu Dhabi the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) requires a HACCP-based system and publishes a public rating called Zadna. This page explains the rules we could confirm, what inspectors look for, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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This page focuses on Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where we could read the official texts. The other emirates have their own municipalities and rules, and we say clearly where we could not confirm something. Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end.

## Contents

The law: how the UAE is organised, and what every food business must do
Who inspects you, and how often
Ratings and results
The records inspectors ask for
Where businesses go wrong
By type of business
Why digital records help in the UAE
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

## 1. The law: how the UAE is organised, and what every food business must do

The emirate structure, in simple words. The UAE has seven emirates. There is a federal food safety law (Federal Law No. 10 of 2015), but in daily life each emirate runs its own food control. Dubai has Dubai Municipality. Abu Dhabi has ADAFSA. Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have their own municipalities. Each can have its own food code, forms and fees.

Dubai (Dubai Municipality, Food Safety Department)

The main rules. The Dubai Municipality Food Code (2013 edition, in English) and Local Order No. 11 of 2003 (Dubai Food Code).
A food safety programme. Every food establishment must run a documented, risk-based programme built on HACCP. It must be approved by Dubai Municipality, kept on site, and reviewed at least every year and after any big change (Food Code 3.1.3). It must record the hazards, the checks, and the action taken when something goes wrong.
Third-party audits. The programme is audited by a Dubai Municipality-approved third-party auditor, unless Dubai Municipality waives it. Audit reports are kept for 4 years (Food Code 3.1.3.2).
Foodwatch is compulsory. Dubai Municipality's circular says all food and food-related establishments must register on Foodwatch, manage their food safety documents and records online, and pay an annual subscription of AED 1,500 (Foodwatch circular). Chef Hygiene does not replace Foodwatch. We could not confirm whether a private app may be used next to it, so ask Dubai Municipality.
Person in Charge (PIC). At least one full-time certified Person in Charge. Where high-risk or ready-to-eat food is prepared, a certified PIC must be present on all shifts. The certificate is valid for 5 years, and the PIC's name must be shown where customers can see it (Food Code 3.1).
Health card and fitness. Food handlers need a valid occupational health card after the government medical tests. Staff with diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, sore throat, jaundice or discharging wounds must tell the PIC and stay away. They may return 48 hours after the symptoms and the medicine stop (Food Code 5.1 and 5.2).
Training. Every food handler is trained before starting work. There is a refresher after 1 year, and the PIC keeps a record of who is trained (Food Code 6).

Dubai temperatures (Food Code). The numbers below are in the code:

Chilled food: 5°C or below. Frozen food: -18°C (3.6.2).
Cooking: core temperature at least 75°C, checked with a probe and recorded (3.2.8).
Hot holding: 60°C or above (3.2.10).
Cooling: from 60°C to 20°C within 2 hours, then to 5°C within 4 more hours, and use within 72 hours (3.2.11).
Reheating: to over 75°C, once only (3.2.13).

Abu Dhabi (ADAFSA)

The main rules. Abu Dhabi Regulation No. 6 of 2010 on food hygiene, as quoted in ADAFSA's Code of Practice No. 29 of 2019 for retail (ADAFSA Code 29/2019).
A HACCP-based system. Every food business must run a food safety management system based on HACCP (Art. 100).
Training. Food handlers must be trained, and the code says EFST food safety training is mandatory for all food handlers in the emirate.
Thermometers and records. Fridge thermometers must be accurate to ±1°C (Art. 40). Food temperature records and thermometer calibration records are kept for 3 years (Art. 41).
Temperatures in the code. Chilled food below 5°C, frozen food at -18°C or colder, hot food above 63°C. Note that this is different from Dubai's 60°C. Use the number for your emirate.

Other emirates. Sharjah's Food Control Section runs a Sharjah Food Safety Programme that audits good hygiene practice records, and asks caterers for a HACCP certificate (Sharjah guide). Ras Al Khaimah's food code covers HACCP, cleaning and temperature control (RAK food code). For Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain we could not find a food code, so ask your municipality.

Allergens (Dubai). 9 groups must be declared on the label or the menu, or given when a customer asks: crustaceans, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, sesame, fish, egg, milk and cereals containing gluten (Food Code 3.4.3). This is 9 groups, not the 14 used in Europe. We could not confirm the rules for loose food in the other emirates.

Fire safety. Each emirate's Civil Defence checks fire safety under the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice. The emergency numbers listed on the UAE government portal are 999 police, 998 ambulance and 997 fire (u.ae).

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

Dubai. Dubai Municipality's Food Safety Department.
Abu Dhabi. ADAFSA.
Other emirates. The municipality's food control section.
Fines in Dubai. Dubai Municipality says fines vary by violation and double when repeated (Local Order No. 11 of 2003).
Penalties in Abu Dhabi. ADAFSA Resolution No. 2 of 2022 sets 7 graded steps, from a notice and a warning up to closure and cancelling the licence. You can appeal within 60 days (Abu Dhabi Media Office).
Amounts and visit schedules. We could not confirm any fine amounts for food hygiene, or an official fixed visit schedule, so we give none.

## 3. Ratings and results

Abu Dhabi: Zadna. ADAFSA shows results on its public Zadna rating, with an app and a QR sticker. It has four levels: excellent, very good, good and needs improvement.
Dubai. We could not confirm how the current grades work or whether customers see them, so we say no more.
Other emirates. We found no public rating.
What this means for you. In Abu Dhabi, your result can be seen by customers. Good records show an inspector that your system works every day, which supports a good result.

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

The records depend on your emirate, but these come from the official texts we read:

Food safety programme / HACCP plan, with its yearly review (Dubai) or your HACCP-based system (Abu Dhabi).
Audit reports, kept for 4 years (Dubai).
Food temperature records and thermometer calibration records, kept for 3 years (Abu Dhabi).
Cooking temperature readings checked with a probe and recorded (Dubai).
Cleaning and disinfection plan and records (Dubai).
Staff training records and the PIC's list of who is trained (Dubai).
Staff illness reports and return-to-work dates.
Pest control by a licensed specialist agency (Dubai Food Code 4.3).
Supplier information and traceability. Food must come from UAE-licensed sources, and the supplier's name and address must be available to the officer (Dubai Food Code 3.2.2).
Allergen information for your dishes.

How long to keep them. Dubai: audit reports 4 years. Abu Dhabi: temperature and calibration records 3 years. We could not confirm a period for other daily records in Dubai, so ask Dubai Municipality.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

Not on Foodwatch. In Dubai, registration and the annual subscription are compulsory.
No certified PIC on a shift. Where high-risk food is prepared, a certified PIC is needed on all shifts, and the name must be on show.
Gaps and no action recorded. Days with no checks written down, or a fridge above 5°C with nothing written about what was done.
The wrong number. Using Dubai's 60°C hot holding in Abu Dhabi, where the code says above 63°C.
Missing calibration records. In Abu Dhabi these are kept for 3 years, as well as temperature records.
Expired health cards or training. Cards must be valid, and training needs a yearly refresher.
Allergens only by word of mouth. Dubai asks for the 9 groups on the label or menu, or given on request.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away.

## 6. By type of business

The rules come from your emirate and are the same in principle for all food businesses. What you record depends on what you do.

Restaurant: daily temperature checks, cooking and hot-holding readings, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, and allergen information for dishes.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus food safety during delivery. We did not confirm UAE rules for online allergen information.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and allergen information for sandwiches and salads.
Bakery: allergen information for every product and fridge temperatures for cream and filled goods.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer temperatures for desserts and ice cream, and allergens for toppings.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve.
Community hall / venue: we could not confirm separate UAE rules. Keep temperature and cleaning records for each event, and ask your municipality about permits.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and labels for food you pack.
School / nursery kitchen: in Sharjah, school canteen suppliers must run a food safety system, and canteen staff need health cards and Sharjah Food Safety Programme training. The food list is approved by the Ministry of Education. Other emirates: ask your authority.
Caterer / food van: Sharjah asks caterers for a HACCP certificate. In Sharjah, a food truck must be designed for food, and the municipality sets locations. Ajman has a food-vehicle permit that needs calibration certificates and health cards (Ajman). Dubai food truck rules: we could not confirm them.
Home kitchen business: Sharjah has a home licence with a visit, a training course, health cards and a kitchen with its own door, a double sink and at least 15 square metres. We could not confirm Dubai's home kitchen rules, so ask your authority.

## 7. Why digital records help in the UAE

Dubai already works online. Dubai Municipality asks you to manage food safety records online on Foodwatch, so digital records are normal there. A phone record can be a daily working copy next to it.
No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day, not at the next inspection.
Problems come with their fix. When a reading is out of range, the record can ask what you did about it.
Nothing is lost. No wet, greasy or missing pages.
Every staff member can take part. Staff can record checks in their own language.

## 8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the UAE rules we could confirm and uses your emirate's numbers. It is an independent app, not part of or approved by Dubai Municipality or ADAFSA, and it does not replace Foodwatch or any licence. What it does:

Daily checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with the time, the staff member's name and photos. Saved records cannot be changed; corrections are added as new records.
Your country's rules built in, such as the Dubai Food Code and Abu Dhabi numbers, set by the emirate you choose.
Food safety plan ("safe methods"). About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would and shows how many are ready.
Inspector's visits log. Write down each visit: date, type and officer.
Practice inspection. A free walk round of about 10 minutes, with questions for your type of business and a "Put it right" list. It shows a likely result in your country's own scheme where one exists.
Allergen chart and labels. Every dish against the allergens, a staff view on the kitchen tablet, and labels for food you pack, with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages. The app works in Arabic and English, among others, and staff can use it in their own language.

## 9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs about €2.99 a month per site (about €1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops), shown in dirhams in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

We keep the price low on purpose. We want as many food businesses as possible, from a single food van to a busy restaurant, to keep good records and pass their inspections.

## 10. Less paper

A paper diary means printed sheets every day. One daily sheet per kitchen is 365 sheets a year, before you count delivery forms, cleaning rotas and training records. Digital records mean no record books to buy and fewer printed forms to throw away. That is less paper and less waste, and nothing to store in a back office.

## 11. FAQ

### Do I legally need food safety records in the UAE?

Yes. In Dubai you need a documented HACCP-based programme with records proving action was taken (Food Code 3.1.3). In Abu Dhabi you need a HACCP-based system and temperature records (Regulation 6/2010).

### Who inspects restaurants in the UAE?

Each emirate has its own authority: Dubai Municipality in Dubai, ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi, and the municipality in the other emirates.

### Is Foodwatch compulsory in Dubai?

Yes. Dubai Municipality's circular says all food establishments must register on Foodwatch and pay AED 1,500 a year.

### Does Chef Hygiene replace Foodwatch?

No. It is an independent helper. We could not confirm whether a private app may be used next to Foodwatch, so ask Dubai Municipality.

### What is a Person in Charge?

In Dubai, a certified food safety person who must be present on all shifts where high-risk food is prepared. The certificate lasts 5 years, and the name is shown to customers.

### Is there a hygiene rating in the UAE?

In Abu Dhabi, yes: ADAFSA's public Zadna rating has four levels. We could not confirm how Dubai's grades work, and found no public rating in the other emirates.

### What temperature must my fridge be?

Dubai: 5°C or below. Abu Dhabi: below 5°C. Frozen food: -18°C in both.

### What temperature must hot food be kept at?

Dubai: 60°C or above. Abu Dhabi: above 63°C.

### What temperature should I cook food to?

Dubai: a core temperature of at least 75°C, checked with a probe and recorded.

### Do my staff need a health card?

Yes. Food handlers need a valid occupational health card after the government medical tests.

### Do my staff need food safety training?

Yes. Dubai: every handler is trained before starting work, with a refresher after 1 year. Abu Dhabi: EFST training for every food handler.

### What allergen information do I need?

In Dubai, 9 groups on the label or the menu, or given when a customer asks (Food Code 3.4.3). Check your own emirate's rule.

### How long must I keep my records?

Dubai: audit reports 4 years. Abu Dhabi: temperature and calibration records 3 years. Other periods: ask your authority.

### What are the penalties?

Dubai: fines vary and double when repeated. Abu Dhabi: 7 graded steps up to closure and cancelling the licence, with an appeal within 60 days. We could not confirm amounts.

### What about the other emirates?

Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain each have their own municipality. Ask yours for its food code.

### How much does Chef Hygiene cost in the UAE?

About €2.99 a month per site (about €1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops), shown in dirhams in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

## 12. Official sources

Chef Hygiene keeps your UAE food safety records ready for every inspection:

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Get it from Microsoft

Use it in your browser