The UAE on Friday banned the import of bottled water from Iran after the deaths of two people in Oman who drank from a contaminated batch earlier this month.
An expat woman and an Omani man died after drinking from a poisonous batch of bottled water from the Iranian brand Uranus Star, the Royal Oman Police said.
The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said: “As part of our continuous monitoring of regional market developments – most notably the confirmed contamination of the Uranus Star product with harmful substances in a neighbouring country – we have activated immediate verification steps.
"These steps included direct co-ordination with all relevant local food safety authorities in each emirate. It also involves scrutinising food shipment records at all the nation's ports of entry.”
The ministry has also intensified its procedures and oversight to ensure that no permits or authorisations have been issued for the entry of shipments of Uranus Star or any other products from the same brand.
The ministry urged the public to immediately dispose of any quantities in their possession, however small, and to refrain from consuming this brand of water.
