UAE Food Packaging Regulations: A Complete Compliance Guide

Regulatory Framework

Food packaging in the UAE falls under the jurisdiction of five federal and local authorities. Understanding which body regulates what—and how their mandates overlap—is the first step toward compliance and the fastest way to avoid shipment delays at port.

• •ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology) — Now integrated into MoIAT, ESMA develops and enforces national standards for food contact materials, labeling, and packaging safety. It publishes the UAE.S series that every converter must reference.
• •Dubai Municipality (Food Safety Department) — Oversees food safety compliance within Dubai, including packaging inspections, facility audits, and import approvals. Dubai Municipality maintains its own registration portal that importers must use before goods clear Jebel Ali.
• •Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) — Regulates food safety standards in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including packaging requirements for locally produced and imported food products. ADAFSA audits are announced and unannounced.
• •Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) — Houses ESMA and manages the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS). MoIAT is the primary reference for the national standards catalogue and the body that issues the ECAS mark.
• •GSO (GCC Standardization Organization) — Sets harmonized standards adopted across all Gulf Cooperation Council member states. Many UAE.S standards are direct adoptions of GSO standards, meaning compliance in the UAE usually satisfies GCC-wide requirements.

In practice, most food packaging projects touch at least three of these bodies: ESMA for material standards, the local municipality for product registration, and GSO for harmonized labeling. Brands exporting across the GCC benefit from the overlap—a single set of compliance documents often works in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman as well.

ESMA Standards for Food Contact Materials

The UAE has adopted a comprehensive set of standards governing materials that come into direct or indirect contact with food. These standards are largely aligned with EU regulations and Codex Alimentarius guidelines but include region-specific additions that catch many first-time importers off guard.

UAE.S GSO 1694 — Packaging Materials for Food

This is the primary standard covering general requirements for food packaging. It mandates that all packaging materials must be manufactured from food-grade substances, must not transfer harmful chemicals to food beyond permitted migration limits, and must be suitable for the intended conditions of use—temperature, acidity, and fat content of the food all factor into the compliance equation.

Migration Limits and Testing

Food packaging materials must pass both overall migration and specific migration tests. Overall migration limits ensure that the total amount of substances transferring from packaging to food does not exceed 10 mg per square decimetre of packaging surface. Specific migration limits apply to individual substances such as heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury), plasticizers, and printing ink solvents.

• •Plastics (UAE.S GSO 839) — Covers polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and other plastic materials. Requires migration testing with food simulants matching the intended food type.
• •Paper and Cardboard (UAE.S GSO 1793) — Sets limits on heavy metals, pentachlorophenol, and fluorescent whitening agents. Recycled paperboard used for food packaging must meet additional purity criteria.
• •Metal Packaging (UAE.S GSO 21) — Regulates tin cans, aluminum containers, and foil. Specifies limits for tin, lead, and lacquer coatings used in internal linings.
• •Glass Containers — Must comply with lead and cadmium release limits as specified in UAE.S GSO standards aligned with ISO 7086.

Mandatory Labeling Requirements

UAE food labeling laws are among the most detailed in the region. Incorrect or incomplete labels are one of the most common reasons for product rejection at customs and regulatory inspection points. All pre-packaged food products sold in the UAE must comply with UAE.S GSO 9 (Labeling of Pre-packaged Foods).

Every food label in the UAE must include Arabic as the primary language alongside all mandatory nutritional and allergen declarations.

Required Label Information

• ✓Product name — Must accurately describe the food and not be misleading
• ✓Ingredients list — Listed in descending order by weight, including all additives with their functional class and INS number
• ✓Allergen declarations — Must be prominently highlighted. The UAE follows the Codex list of eight major allergens: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, and tree nuts
• ✓Nutritional information — Energy (kcal/kJ), protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugars, dietary fibre, and sodium per 100g/100ml
• ✓Production and expiry dates — Must follow the ESMA-specified format (typically day/month/year). "Best before" and "use by" distinctions must be accurate

Language Requirements

All food labels must include Arabic text as the mandatory primary language. English is commonly included as a secondary language and is strongly recommended for the UAE's multicultural consumer base. The Arabic text must be a proper translation of all mandatory information—transliteration alone is not accepted. Sticker labels with Arabic translations are permitted for imported products, provided the sticker does not obscure the original label's mandatory information.

Halal Certification and Packaging

The UAE requires that all meat, poultry, and their derivative products carry valid halal certification. Beyond the food itself, packaging considerations play an important role in maintaining halal integrity throughout the supply chain.

Material Purity

Packaging materials must not contain animal-derived substances that are not halal-certified. This includes certain gelatins used in adhesives, animal-based stearates in coatings, and non-halal waxes. Converters sourcing raw materials from international suppliers should request halal compliance declarations for every component in the packaging stack—from the substrate through to the adhesive and any lamination films.

Cross-Contamination Prevention

Production lines used for halal food packaging should be separate from non-halal lines, or thoroughly cleaned and documented between runs if shared. The Emirates Authority for Standardization oversees the UAE.S 2055 series of halal standards, which covers general requirements for halal products including processing, packaging, and transportation. Packaging facilities may be audited as part of the halal certification process, and documentation of cleaning protocols between runs is a common audit checkpoint.

Environmental Regulations

The UAE has been progressively tightening environmental regulations around packaging. The pace accelerated in 2025 and 2026, and businesses that did not plan ahead are now scrambling to adapt. Staying informed about evolving requirements is no longer optional—it is a cost-of-doing-business issue.

Phase 2 Single-Use Plastic Ban

Building on the Phase 1 restrictions that targeted plastic bags and stirrers, the January 2026 Phase 2 ban squeezes PVC and expanded polystyrene out of the food packaging supply chain. Polystyrene food containers, cups, and clamshells are now prohibited in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with other emirates following on staggered timelines. Businesses caught selling food in banned materials face fines starting at AED 10,000 per violation.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Framework

The UAE is rolling out an Extended Producer Responsibility framework that requires food brands and packaging manufacturers to take financial responsibility for end-of-life management of their packaging. While full implementation is phased, early registrants are already reporting into the system. Forward-thinking businesses should begin planning for packaging that is easily recyclable and carries clear recycling symbols and disposal instructions—EPR fees are expected to be lower for easily recyclable formats.

Excise Tax Impact on Converter Margins

The excise tax on sugary drinks and tobacco products—fully effective since January 2026—has a cascading impact on food packaging converters. Brands subject to the excise tax are pressuring their packaging suppliers for cost reductions to offset the tax burden, squeezing converter margins by up to 18 percentage points in some categories. Converters that can offer material optimization, lightweighting, and design-for-recyclability are better positioned to retain these accounts because they deliver tangible cost savings alongside compliance.

Import Requirements

If you are importing food packaging materials or pre-packaged food products into the UAE, you must navigate additional regulatory requirements beyond the material standards themselves.

Documentation

• •Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from an accredited lab
• •Food-grade compliance certificate for packaging materials
• •Migration test reports from ISO 17025 accredited laboratories
• •Health certificate from the country of origin
• •Halal certificate (where applicable)

Customs Clearance

• •Register with the relevant municipal food safety authority before your first shipment arrives
• •Submit product samples for laboratory testing if requested by customs
• •Provide proof of compliance with UAE.S and GSO standards
• •Ensure Arabic labeling is present before goods reach retail
• •Maintain traceability records for a minimum of 2 years

ECAS Mark

For regulated product categories, the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) mark is mandatory. The ECAS mark confirms that your product and its packaging meet UAE technical regulations. Products without the ECAS mark when required will be refused entry at port. The application process runs through MoIAT and typically takes 2–4 weeks once all documentation is in order.

Certification Process

Achieving compliance with UAE food packaging regulations involves a structured certification process. The following six steps take you from initial material selection through to ongoing compliance maintenance.

Lab testing and material certification are the foundation of food packaging compliance in the UAE.