Food Standards In Dubai

I have lived in Dubai for almost six months now. I am a trained scientist and most recently acquired a degree in Food Safety and Control. I love food, I adore eating, cooking and shopping for my ingredients. I used to grow my own vegetables, back in London. Cooking, baking and making home-made chutneys, jams and similar foodstuff, are my favourite ways of spending free time. My daughter loves my shortbread.

I have not stopped doing any of these hobbies while I have been in Dubai. It is so wonderful to find that there this so much colourful and varied produce from all around the globe.

I learnt to replace my love for Italian and French ingredients for more Middle Eastern ones. Local Labneh (cream cheese) replaced Mascarpone, for a delicious pancakes, with semolina, honey and yogurt.

I tend to purchase Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, Turkish and Egyptian grown-food.

I love locally made cow's milk and plain yogurt, it tastes so good. The hot climate has also changed my habits of eating sweet things. The only sweets I now tend to eat are dark chocolate (Swiss) and honey.

My daughter who is nearly two years old munches raisins, apricots, bananas, drinks milk and refuses to eat ice-cream. Bizarre, I know! 

Let's hope the good habits continue

I was personally, at first, very underwhelmed by the offerings at the local supermarkets and a bit scared of getting ill from potentially badly chilled dairy and meat produce. People who I have meet in Dubai on my arrival had given me some warnings and advice on that.

I bought what they bought and gradually, step by step learned myself what was good.

It took time to find the right eggs (some did not taste nice) and chicken.

I have choice between french super- and hyper-markets and Waitrose or Spinneys (Brits love them) and Indian Lulu's or  the quite arabic Union Co-op.

I avoid iced drinks when out and I only drink bottled water.

Yes. I did get food poisoning. It happened to me twice and it was awful. Aparently it was caused by a virus which only strikes here. Thank God, my daughter and husband did fall victims of this microbes too.

Overall, I am impressed with cleanliness and food quality here. Eating out is a nice experience in Dubai or at least in the places I have been to. For th most part, they really understand that good standards will make a customer happy to buy their products. They tend to follow HACCP, ISO and BRC.