Quality and safety of cheese shipped to the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Abstract During an examination of 3299 cheeses imported into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2017 to 2021 for compliance with regulations regarding moisture and fat content, microbial quality, acidity, the presence of quinoline (a non-permitted colorant), sorbic acid, and the presence of rust discoloration, it was found that 91% of cheeses were compliant with UAE legislation. However, 9% were in violation of one or more of the mandated quality parameters, suggesting that adulteration had occurred. Within product categories the greatest level of non-conformity at 13% was noted for processed cheese, primarily due to violations caused by high moisture and low-fat content. This is important because moisture levels in processed cheese can influence its texture and shelf life. The microbial assessment of cheese showed that 85.7% of semi-hard and 77.5% of soft cheeses had non-compliant levels of E. coli. It was notable that 21.8% of non-compliant products originated from Turkey. Cheeses from Germany had the lowest level of non-conformity at 0.6%. This study illustrates the need for border scrutiny to include physicochemical examinations of cheese samples. The current initiative aims to promote the need for equity in global trade and to prevent the marketing of adulterated food items. Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Imported cheese
• Fraud
• Adulteration
• Non-conformity
• Moisture content
• Fat content