Dubai Municipality, which is hosting the sixth Dubai International Food Safety Conference from the 28th of February to the 1st of March 2011, has given final touches for the themes and work papers of the event.
Director of food control department at the municipality Khalid Mohammed Shareef said the conference would provide world-class insights on food safety and help professionals in the food industry sharpen their skills.
"The conference will deliver an array of programs that includes workshops, symposia, technical sessions and poster presentations that will feature more than 100 presenters," he said, adding that more than 1,200 people had attended the event in 2010 and with each year, the participation is getting bigger and better.
"Dubai is emerging as the main hub of international food trade and a paradise for food lovers. There are more than 13,500 food establishments in Dubai that are involved in importing, exporting, processing, preparing or selling of about 6 million tonnes of food that comes from more than 150 different countries," said Shareef.
| Advertisement |
"People from more than 200 countries visit or work in Dubai and there is food to satisfy the taste of everyone which makes Dubai a true ‘Global Food Village’. This love for food also qualifies the city as an ideal location for a global food safety conference."
Held alongside Gulfood, the conference will aim to help improve international and regional cooperation in promoting food safety and has facilitated exchange of knowledge and experience across the region by identifying and promoting good practices.
"Foodborne illnesses have become a major public health concern in recent years. Several outbreaks and incidents related to food safety have shaken the public and lowered consumer confidence in all regions of the world. Safe food is a responsibility of all those involved in food production till consumption starting in the farm until the fork and this complex chain includes farmers, manufacturers, scientists, regulators and the consumers," Shareef asserted.
"Before it reaches the consumers, food travels several thousands of miles and sometimes passes through several countries that have varying degree of control measures to ensure safety of food. Food control systems in some of these countries are not always as well organized and developed as in the industrialized countries and to enhance the safety of global food supply, we need to look at harmonizing standards, sharing scientific data and promote collaboration between different governments, especially between the developed world and the developing world."
This year’s conference is based on the theme ‘Food Safety in the Emerging Economies’ and the meeting will explore a variety of issues that affect food safety challenges faced by the countries that are emerging as mass producing economies.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
