Private Label Canned Tuna
for the UAE

MUI Halal is mandatory for all canned fish sold at retail in the UAE. The MUI Halal logo must appear prominently on the label. ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology) and MOIAT enforce halal requirements at point of sale. UAE Customs may inspect halal certificates at Jebel Ali port. Top Tide Canning holds a current MUI Halal certificate covering skipjack, yellowfin, and albacore in brine, water, sunflower oil, and EVOO.

MUI Halal certificate issued in Indonesia — accepted across all GCC states and the wider Middle East without re-certification.

GSO 9 (GCC General Labelling Standard) requires all retail food labels to carry: product name in Arabic and English, ingredients list in both languages, nutrition information per 100g, country of origin, net weight, best-before date, halal logo, and importer name and UAE address. ESMA enforces GSO 9 compliance on market surveillance. Non-compliant labels result in shipment hold or product recall. Top Tide Canning provides print-ready GSO 9-compliant Arabic/English bilingual label artwork within 5–7 business days of brand brief receipt.

Arabic RTL layout and Arabic copywriting handled by our in-house design team. Label proof supplied in print-ready PDF + AI files.

FSSC 22000 (GFSI-recognised) is required by Lulu Hypermarket, Carrefour UAE (MAF), Spinneys, Waitrose UAE, and Union Coop for private label supplier qualification. Lulu Hypermarket’s global supplier code of conduct requires FSSC 22000 or BRC as a minimum. Carrefour MAF procurement requires GFSI certification for all private label food suppliers. Top Tide Canning’s FSSC 22000 certificate is current and available in the supplier qualification package.

FSSC 22000 certificate + most recent audit summary available for retailer qualification pack submission to Lulu Abu Dhabi, MAF Dubai, and Spinneys Gulf.

UAE Customs and ESMA require an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited Certificate of Analysis for heavy metals and histamine per shipment. Tested parameters for canned tuna entering the UAE: mercury ≤1.0 mg/kg (GSO 1694 tuna-specific limit), lead ≤0.3 mg/kg, cadmium ≤0.1 mg/kg, tin ≤200 mg/kg (canned product), histamine ≤200 mg/kg. Top Tide Canning provides a full ISO 17025 CoA from an ILAC-accredited third-party laboratory with every production lot shipped to the UAE.

CoA values reported against GSO 1694 limits for Dubai Customs. EU Reg. 2023/915 limits also reported on request for cross-market use (Europe and GCC from single production).

UAE Customs requires a Health Certificate issued by the Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) via the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS), and a Certificate of Origin issued by the Thai Department of Foreign Trade (DFT). Both documents are prepared by Top Tide Canning and accompany every export shipment. The CoO confirms Thai origin for GCC tariff application (5% CET). Originals sent with shipping documents; copies available by email for pre-clearance.

Health Certificate and DFT Certificate of Origin included in the standard export documentation package for every UAE-bound shipment.

ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology) and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT) may require product conformity assessment under UAE food product registration for certain food categories. For canned fish, requirements are enforced through post-market surveillance rather than mandatory pre-registration (unlike Saudi SFDA). However, UAE importers should ensure their registration with UAE food authorities is current. Top Tide Canning provides all technical documentation required for UAE importer registration.

No mandatory ESMA pre-registration for canned fish (unlike SFDA in Saudi Arabia). Post-market surveillance applies. Top Tide Canning documentation package covers all standard UAE importer requirements.