By Ibrahim Mohamed
On January 4, the National Food Safety Authority held a remote meeting with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in the presence of the president of the Egyptian trade office in Jeddah, the trade attaché of the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Cairo, the head of the central administration of the trade agreements sector of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the executive director of the export council of the food industries.
The meeting discussed the mechanism of increasing Egyptian exports of vegetables, frozen fruit and dairy products by intensifying technical visits from the Saudi side in the coming period, as well as allowing the opening of Saudi markets to pasteurised egg products and packaged fish of European origin.
In another context the Information Centre of the National Food Safety Authority issued its 48 weekly reports for the period from December 30 – January 5, which include many different activities.
The General Administration of Factories Control carried out 69 supervisory missions on food factories in all governorates during the last week.
Five food facilities were registered with the National Food Safety Authority, and 13 factories were listed on the white list.
Examination, inspection, and accreditation visits by the Department of Control of Packing Stations and Centres reached 46; 5 establishments were registered; 3 facilities are currently listed on the white list; and 2209 export permits were issued to agricultural crops.
In addition to a meeting with Minister of Agriculture el Sayyed al Qusseir to follow up the exports of Egyptian crops.
Beans and tomatoes have topped the list of exported Egyptian vegetables by 10000 tons each, followed by sweet potatoes with a total of 6000 tons, and citrus fruits topped the list of exported fruits last week with a total of 65,000 tons, followed by strawberries and pomegranates with a total of 10000 and 5000 tons, respectively.
Saudi Arabia, Italy, the USA, and Libya represented the largest recipients of Egyptian exports over the past week out of a total of 166 importing countries.
The General Administration for Registration and Licensing of Private Food registered 55 products and 6 companies, carried out 6 supervisory visits, examined 415 new products, and issued 5 free sale certificates.
With regard to Laboratory Management, the department prepared technical reports for 1151 samples of imported food shipments, 507 samples of food for export, 370 samples of local food, and 129 samples of special food products.
The General Department of Slaughterhouses conducted 7 inspection visits to poultry and meat slaughterhouses, in addition to issuing 16 permissions to natural envelope factories.
The Warehouse Control Department implemented 21 inspections for private sector warehouses and 2 inspections for new sites and school feeding warehouses in Al-Sharqia, Ismailia, Giza, Suez, Cairo, Alexandria, Dakahlia and Qalibiya governorates.
Three sites for new school feeding stores (under construction) have also been inspected and updated in Cairo and Ismailia governorates.
The Authority participated in the third meeting of the Coordinating Committee on School Meal Management for all heads of educational departments of the Ministry of Education in the Administrative Capital to coordinate the management of the school meal system for the second semester of the school year 2023-2024.
Also, NFSA has participated in the committee formed by the Ministry of Local Development, the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Environmental Affairs concerned with receiving the automated meat slaughterhouse in Shubra Al Khaymahin, which was developed in accordance with the requirements of the National Food Safety Authority.
The food safety branch in Gharbia, Damietta, Al-Sharqia, Faiyum, Assiut, Sohag, Aswan, Luxor, and Qalyubia governorates launched extensive inspection campaigns to ensure the implementation of food safety requirements.
This came as part of the efforts of the directives of Dr. Tarek el-Hobi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), to tighten the control over food establishments to ensure the safety of the food products offered and to preserve the health of consumers in various governorates.
Dr. Tarek el-Hobi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), congratulates the Coptic brothers on the occasion of Christmas and expresses his wishes for more happiness for all Egyptians.
