Huda Al Tunaiji (Ras Al Khaimah)
Shaima Al Tunaiji, Director of the Public Health Department in the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality Department, revealed that the food control laboratory witnessed in the past period extensive improvements and the addition of 8 laboratory equipment, 5 new laboratory tests to provide the best types of services to ensure public health and safety.
She stated that the laboratory, which is concerned with receiving the various samples of food and drinking water, to ensure that they meet the approved standard specifications, and the conclusion of joint contracts between it and the various institutions for the analysis of samples and products, aims to verify their safety for human consumption.
Shaima Al Tunaiji said in her interview with Al Ittihad: The Food Control Laboratory witnessed the addition of many improvements in the past period, including expanding the areas of examinations approved by ISO 17025 by 100% and making 48 improvements to the quality system in the food laboratory according to the requirements of ISO 17025, training and technical qualification for students Emirati universities have 6 female students.
She referred to the completion of a project to install a separate treatment unit for water used in laboratory tests, and the completion of 50% of the project to list the prices of laboratory tests in the SAP system and development and amendments to the Limes program in the laboratory, pointing to achieving an average of 94% of the TAT index for the time specified for completing the examination of samples. Receiving, conducting and carrying out a survey of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits, and carrying out a survey of natural herbs in the herbalist’s shops in coordination with the Environmental Control Department. She stated that a “honey fraud survey” was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and a survey of pesticide residues in rice products was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and a survey of water in food establishments in coordination with the Food Control Department.
Al-Tunaji revealed the addition of the “Tempo” device in the microbiological laboratory to reduce the time of examinations on pathogenic bacteria by 40-60%, and the addition of the “GC-FID” device to conduct tests on the small percentage of alcohol in food and beverages.
She pointed out that the “Evidence investigator” device was also used to quickly detect pesticide residues in honey and various foods, a “spectrophotometer” to examine cations and salts in water within an hour, and an incubation device for testing cosmetic products. She stated that an incubation device was added to meet the temperature requirements of bacteria in the microbiological laboratory, and a “TS-100 Thermo-Shaker PCR” device was added to prepare samples for DNA testing, and a “Homogenizer” device was added to prepare food samples for testing pesticide residues.
Al Tunaiji revealed the addition of a number of tests, including the examination of mycotoxins in food and feed using “LC MS MS” according to international standards, and the examination of antibiotic and veterinary drug residues in foods of animal origin using “LC MS MS” according to international standards.
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Shaima Al Tunaiji, Director of the Public Health Department in the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality Department, said that the examination was also added to the quantitative estimation of “acrylamide” in drinking water and different groups of food and oils using “LC MS MS” according to the approved standard specifications, detection and confirmatory estimation of allergens in food and its products using PCR technology, according to the approved standard specifications.
She indicated the addition of detection of hepatitis A and norovirus in foodstuffs and their products using PCR technology, according to the approved specifications.
She stated that the Food Control Laboratory received 4,671 samples since the beginning of the year, divided by the number of samples that conform to the standard specifications to 4,392 samples, and the samples that do not conform to the standard specifications into 279 samples.
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