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Saudi authority highlights alert system on food

By By K.T. ABDURABB DUBAI: The two-day International Food Safety Conference started here on Tuesday with serious debates by representatives from different countries. Dr. Hamad Al-Kanhal of Saudi Food and Drug Authority in Riyadh elaborated on the Gulf's rapid alert system on food.

Caroline Smith Dawol, food safety director of Center for Science in Public Interest, USA, spoke about the future of food safety while Mariam Hareb Sultan Al-Yousuf, executive director of policy and regulation sector at Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority presented a topic titled "Abu Dhabi Food Safety Policy, Future Roadmap."

S.K Saxena, director of Export Inspection Council of India, dealt at length on "Food Export Inspection System In India" and David Tharp, director of IAFP, discussed the activities of International Association for Food Protection. More subjects that focus on the GCC will follow on Wednesday.

Experts said the implementation of more regulatory changes toward reducing the number of food-borne diseases is a must.

Earlier, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality , inaugurated the conference at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. He said Dubai Municipality is proud to make this conference a meeting point of international forums in a record time.

"In 2011, Dubai has imported more than six million tons compared to five million tons in 2010 with an increase of one million ton (18 percent), confirming the leading role of Dubai as an important hub in the regional level in relation to the foodstuffs business. These foods have been imported from 151 countries in 2011 compared to 160 countries in 2010.

As far as the food establishments are concerned, in 2011 the civic body licensed 2,202 permanent food establishments of different activities compared to 2,075 establishments in 2010 in addition to the license for 1,974 temporary institutions in 2011 and 1,922 in 2010," he said.

"These statistics confirm the big challenges faced by the food control authorities of Dubai, other emirates and the region. Hence, the efforts of all these authorities should be coordinated through developing initiatives and programs aimed at solving the problems in providing healthy food in the region.

This conference offers an opportunity to display the best international practices in the field of food safety taking into account the implementation of specifications, laws and procedures ensuring the human ethics of the regional and international trade," Lootah added.

"The civic body's surveillance system ensures that small restaurants, eateries, cafeterias, labor camps, schools, hospitals, contract caterers, hotels and traditional kitchens follow safer practices for cooking, chilling, cleaning and avoiding cross contamination," he added.

Khalid Mohammed Sherif, director of food control department of Dubai municipality, during his presentation on challenges and solutions in the field of food safety said along with the development of technologies and methods of dealing with contaminants and food-borne pathogens, we got stronger bugs and bacteria, posing a big threat in front of the scientists and researchers in the food safety field. Despite the huge efforts of food control authorities, we hear daily many food-borne diseases from all corners of the world.

The UAE has been conducting a number of food and agriculture related events and promotions during this week. Gulfood is going on in Dubai and a four-day Agricultural Exhibition will open in Al-Ain Wednesday. The Al-Ain conference will give opportunity to farmers and experts to exchange ideas and expertise to grasp the latest technologies and developments in the field.

© Arab News 2012