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19 March 2024

Only buy bottled water with 'EQM' in UAE

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

From this month, the UAE public can be assured of the quality of bottled drinking water and ice products in the country, as the deadline of the compliance with newly set standards for the industry has passed and strict quality regulations are now in force.

All bottled drinking water and ice products on the shelves are required to have the Emirates Quality Mark (EQM), which is Esma’s mark of approval for products that meet the standards set by Esma.

Non-compliance may result in fines from Dh30,000 to Dh100,000, depending on the severity of the violation and no water shall be sold in the UAE unless an EQM is granted, warned Esma.

This decision was taken by the UAE Cabinet and was first announced in 2013. In March this year, the authority announced an extension of the initial deadline of six months in response to manufacturers’ request for time to conform with the standards, and October 1 was set as the final date of conformance.

Imported and locally produced bottled water and ice products are required to conform with the unified standards that have been set by the Emirates Standardisation Metrology Authority (Esma).

Food safety management, environmental issues, and safety of electrical appliances used are some of the most important criteria that manufacturers are required to adhere to before they are permitted to distribute their products in the UAE.

All equipment and materials used in the process are made from food-grade material and all plastics used are degradable and environment friendly.