Opening a Restaurant or Cafe in Dubai? Your Chemical Compliance Checklist

What Dubai Municipality Inspectors Check on Day One

Your food license inspection happens before you serve your first customer. The Food Safety Department checks your premises, your kitchen layout — and every cleaning chemical on-site.

• SDS in English and Arabic (16-section GHS format) — for every chemical product on the premises. Most common single failure point. If an inspector asks for the SDS of any product and you cannot produce one in Arabic, that product fails.
• GHS-compliant bilingual labels on every container — every bottle, drum and refill container must carry correct hazard pictograms in English and Arabic. Decanting into unmarked spray bottles is a DM violation even if the product itself is approved.
• Certificate of Analysis (COA) — per-batch lab results confirming the product matches its specification.
• Correct storage — chemicals stored away from food, heat sources and incompatible materials. Ventilated and clearly labelled.
• HACCP-compliant food contact chemicals — any chemical contacting food-prep surfaces must be food-safe and rinse-residue free.

The 10 Essential Cleaning Chemicals for Your Restaurant or Cafe

Covering every area DM inspectors examine — kitchen, dining room, restrooms, service areas and staff areas. All supplied with Arabic & English SDS, GHS labels and COA.

VT-GC-001 All Purpose Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-GC-001

All Purpose Cleaner

Tables, counters, surfaces, door handles. 1:20 dilution for general use.

Dilution: 1:20 standard · 1:5 heavy soiling

VT-GC-002 Multipurpose Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-GC-002

Multipurpose Cleaner

Pre-spray on greasy surfaces before wiping. Light switches, exterior.

Dilution: Direct spray or 1:10

VT-GC-003 Bathroom Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-GC-003

Bathroom Cleaner

Descaling for UAE hard water (300–500 ppm). Tiles, basins, fixtures.

Dilution: 1:5 to neat on limescale

VT-GC-004 Glass Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-GC-004

Glass Cleaner

Streak-free on mirrors, windows, glass partitions, display cases.

Dilution: Ready to use

VT-DS-002 Disinfectant Liquid Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-DS-002

Disinfectant Liquid

Tables, handles, menus, POS terminals. 30–60 sec contact time.

Dilution: Ready to use

VT-DS-003 Hand Sanitizer Gel Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-DS-003

Hand Sanitizer Gel

WHO formula. Entrance, reception, restrooms, service stations.

Dilution: Ready to use · 1.5–2ml per use

VT-DS-007 Antibacterial Floor Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-DS-007

Antibacterial Floor Cleaner

Kitchen and common areas. Antibacterial activity on every mop cycle.

Dilution: 60ml per 5L bucket

VT-KC-001 Dish Soap Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-KC-001

Dish Soap

Manual dishwashing: crockery, utensils, glassware, pots. Food-contact safe.

Dilution: Per label in warm water

VT-KC-005 Oven & Grill Cleaner Dubai UAE Vileson

VT-KC-005

Oven & Grill Cleaner

Carbonised grease from ovens, grills, extraction hoods. Dwell 10–15 min.

Dilution: Neat · dwell 10–15 min · rinse

Which Chemical in Which Area

Step-by-Step — Getting Your Chemicals Ready for DM Inspection

1. Order from a DM-compliant supplier — every product must have Arabic SDS, GHS labels and COA. Vileson includes all three automatically.
2. Receive and check delivery — confirm Arabic SDS is in the box for each product. File SDS sheets in a folder on-site accessible to all staff.
3. Label every container including spray bottles — GHS-compliant bilingual labels must be on every container, including refill spray bottles.
4. Store chemicals correctly — away from food, heat sources and daylight. Ventilated storage. Incompatible products separated.
5. Train all staff on chemical handling — DM may ask to see evidence of staff chemical handling training. Document and keep records on-site.
6. Complete your chemical inventory list — a written list of every chemical product on-site with its SDS reference. DM inspectors may request this during inspection.