Dramatic changes in global food consumption patterns, consumer trends and food manufacturing processes have had a significant impact on food safety which today’s industry professionals must address, a Dubai official has asserted.
Speaking at the opening of the fifth Dubai International Food Safety Conference (DIFSC) running alongside Gulfood, the UAE Minister of Environment and Water Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad called for concerted efforts from all quarters to fight the new challenges in food safety, especially food-borne illnesses.
The three-day conference, hosted by Dubai Municipality at the Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), will focus on the topic ‘Food Safety: A Responsibility to Share’.
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“Recent problems associated with chemical contaminants, pesticides and veterinary drugs have definitely increased the pressure on regulators worldwide to enhance steps to ensure that the foods provided to their people are protected,” Fahad commented.
“Despite the development and advancement in food testing, disease surveillance and enhanced food safety standards, we still have food safety issues.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that there are more than 250 different food-borne diseases, more than 30% of the world population is suffering from these diseases and proves fatal for 2.2 million people annually.
“This requires diligent work by all concerned parties to face this problem along the food chain - primary producers, suppliers, manufacturers, consumers, scientists, the media, food control authorities and so on,” Fahad noted.
“Based on the vision of our leadership, we understand the importance of the partnership between all of these parties at local, regional, and international levels.
“The federal government has been keen over the years to set laws, specifications, regulations and guidelines necessary to ensure food safety and educate the public about the importance of food safety.
“This is in addition to provide the technical support to the national establishments which are working in the field of agriculture, animal production, and food manufacturing, in order to improve the quality of their products and to facilitate free trade in food commodities,” he said.
Fahad also noted that the Ministry of Environment and Water had recently established a department specialising in food safety, in order to upgrade safety levels across the country based on best international practices.
“This department is concerned with drawing the policies and strategies and unifies the laws and guidelines and ensures their uniform application all of over the Emirates,” Fahad said.
As a first step, a food safety committee has been established at the ministry which includes representatives from the Ministry and its strategic partners, the Minister revealed.
“The first task of this committee will be preparing a federal food law as per the modern systems and practices,” Fahad continued.
“This will be followed by unifying the food inspection and control procedures in the country. A food-borne diseases surveillance system will be established, and applied research and studies in the area of food safety will be conducted in collaboration with private sector, universities, and research centres.”
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