QCC introduces smart sampling method to identify faulty products across Abu Dhabi retail market

Using portable equipment onsite, Kashef will identify faulty or unsafe products such as children's toys and electrical appliances retailed in Abu Dhabi.

The new mechanism will offer a more scientific approach to product testing that has to date been conducted by the random sampling method, wherein authorities test a prototype of a certain product for safety and quality. In most cases, business owners pay for the process of getting their sample product examined. In addition to bearing penalty should the product fail to meet the safety and quality regulations, business owners are also accountable to pay for the samples that pass the product evaluation test.

Under the Kashef initiative, which provides retailers with free testing, QCC inspectors will personally visit stores that display regulated products for sale. While on-site examination of consumer goods offers 98% accuracy, samples with high probability of failure may be taken by QCC inspectors for more comprehensive lab testing.

Abdulla Al Muaini, said, "Our goal is to achieve zero incidents involving high risk products in Abu Dhabi, especially in personal products such as children's toys and electrical appliances. While Kashef offers consumers guarantee that the products they buy are safe, it is important for retailers to ensure that they retail products that bear a certificate of conformity from an authorized body in the UAE."

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council was established in 2009 to raise the quality of Abu Dhabi's exports and products traded locally, while protecting the interest of the emirate's consumers and supporting its competitive economy. The objectiveis achieved through enabling regulators to establish and implement product safety, legal metrology and conformity schemes. QCC also sets guidelines and benchmarks to identify and verify that the products manufactured and traded in the emirate conform to the highest quality standards.