Masafi water recall 500,000 bottles from stores

Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority demands that a batch of Masafi water deemed unfit for human consumption be recalled.

The ADFC confirmed half a million water bottles with an expiration date of October 11, 2010 are contaminated.

ABU DHABI // A massive batch of Masafi water was deemed unfit for human consumption according to the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, which issued an order late last month demanding that the bottles be recalled from the shelves of retail stores through the Emirates. The ADFC confirmed yesterday that a half-million water bottles produced on October 12, 2009 with an expiration date of October 11, 2010 were contaminated, containing "impurities visible to the naked eye," according to its press release. Sources at Masafi confirmed that 500,000 bottles had been ordered for recall. The company would not specify what the contamination was. According to Mohammed al Reyaysa, spokesman of ADFCA, the authority ordered Masafi to recall the bottles late last month, and they have complied so far. If they did not comply, "they would face being taken to court and punished," he added. Retails stores were subsequently asked to recall the product and to comply with the ADFCA's order. "Regardless of thename or size of the establishment, they will be under intense scrutiny." The contaminants had entered the water during packaging, and the ADFCA had received complaints from consumers who saw the dirt inside the bottles. "Usually we determine what to do in two ways. If we visibly see contamination, we order an immediate recall. If not, we do laboratory tests to determine the safety of the product," said Mr Reyeysa. "In this case, it failed the test right from the start." We are not happy about this," said Natascha Edelmann, head of marketing at Masafi. "We recalled it immediately. As far as we are in knowledge, that batch is no longer available on the market." The source of contamination is, as yet, unknown, Edelman said. The contaminated bottles have been sent to a third party for analysis and results will be released next week. "We're taking the necessary precautions at the factory level to make sure this does not happen again. For us, the quality of every single bottle of Masafi is a priority." [e-mail]