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UAE: Want to know where your food came from? New platform to list safety information
With this platform, companies can also register new products after uploading an image; the details will be filled into a form by an AI tool
- PUBLISHED: Tue 18 Feb 2025, 7:51 PM
A new digital platform will allow consumers to trace their food sources and verify whether products are ethically sourced.
Montaji+ will provide information, including the location of a product’s manufacturer and its carbon footprint, according to a DM spokesperson. Although the platform is still in the testing phase, it will incorporate AI in its registration processes, the spokesperson added.
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Sultan Al Taher, Director of Food Safety Department, told Khaleej Times that this platform will integrate all previous systems together, namely the DM Smart Inspection System and the permit system, to streamline processes with the use of AI.
Previously, to register a new product, companies would have to manually type and fill in the required form. The new platform only requires an image of the product, and the AI tool will fill the form in a short period of time.
The platform, called Montaji+, was unveiled at the 30th edition of Gulfood 2025. He added, “Our role here is to direct [companies], provide them with the necessary requirements and with the required standards and specifications to record their products.”
Restaurant owners can also use this system to register their establishments by simply putting in the details and adding the plan (blueprint). Previously, registering for a restaurant required plenty of emails sent back and forth, which would be time-consuming, according to Al Taher.
Under another initiative, termed ‘Green Channel’, companies who have a track record of keeping their products in good condition, and have not had a complaint in recent years can have their products sent directly to the market without any inspection, Al Taher said.
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.