Dubai: Residents have been urged not to believe claims on social media without confirming with authorities.

The latest advisory comes as a video purported to show some cheese slices having properties of burnt plastic when exposed to direct flame.

A recent video claims to show cheese not melting and emitting a smell of burnt plastic when exposed to fire, suggesting the presence of plastic or other contaminants.

A quick search on YouTube shows several videos claiming cheese behaved like plastic when burnt on an open flame.

Dubai Municipality has strongly rejected any insinuation that any video shows cheese available in Dubai, saying it investigated the issue and found no evidence of any contamination.

It explained that cheese is not meant to be burnt over fire in any case, saying it is normally warmed in low heat.

Officials added that cheese slices, like any other food products, pass through several stages — from raw materials, adding of ingredients and additives, processing, storing and preparation.

There must be a thorough investigation of all these stages before any claims can be substantiated, they said.

Dubai Municipality pointed out Dubai’s track record in food safety, saying it carried out inspections on around 10,000,000 tonnes of food last year. Some 15,000 food facilities such as restaurants and kitchens were also checked for safety and quality.

All food entering Dubai has to pass through a series of tests and checks. There are also routine and spot inspections regarding food storage, preparation, transport, and manufacturing.

The civic body denied there is any plastic or other contaminants in cheese slices in the local market. Foodstuff is also checked for prohibited substances such as pork fat or carcinogens.

Officials work hard to prevent any leaks or loopholes in the food safety system in place in Dubai and there is no reason for any concern regarding products available locally, it added.

The municipality food control department reiterated the cheese slice issue has absolutely nothing to do with Dubai and urged the public not to believe posts on social media without checking with authorities.