By Ibrahim Mohamed
The chairman of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), Dr Tarek el-Hobi, participated in the Dubai International Food Safety Conference organised by the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality.
El-Hobi reviewed Egypt’s regulatory environment for recycling plastic waste for use in food packaging, as well as efforts in recycling through various methods such as mechanical and chemical recycling.
This came during his participation in the sustainable recycling and plastic waste management initiatives session for a circular economy. This was aimed at raising awareness about the effects of climate change on food safety.
Over 3,000 specialists from governments and food makers attended the conference.
In the same context, the Information Centre of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) issued its 44 weekly reports for the period from December 9-15, which include many different activities.
The General Administration of Factories Control carried out 84 supervisory missions on food factories in all governorates during the second week of December.
Five food facilities were registered with the National Food Safety Authority, and one factory was listed.
Examination, inspection, and accreditation visits by the Department of Control of Packing Stations and Centres reached 41; 4 establishments were registered; 2 facilities were listed on the white list; and 1523 export permits were issued to agricultural crops.
Sweet potatoes continue to top the list of exported Egyptian vegetables by 7000 tons, followed by beans with a total of 6000 tons, tomatoes with a total of 5000 tons, and citrus fruits topped the list of exported fruits last week with a total of 32,000 tons, followed by strawberries and pomegranates with a total of 7000 and 5000 tons, respectively.
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Libya, and Russia represented the largest recipients of Egyptian exports over the past week out of a total of 160 importing countries.
The General Administration for Registration and Licensing of Private Food registered 63 products and 11 companies, carried out 7 supervisory visits, examined 465 new products, and issued 6 free sale certificates.
NFSA issued a guideline for the implementation of the basic requirements for the safety of food in food storage facilities No. 4 of 2022 on the requirements of licensing storage facilities.
The General Department of Slaughterhouses conducted 8 inspection visits to poultry and meat slaughterhouses, in addition to 2 visits to natural envelope factories.
One slaughterhouse met the authority’s requirements and was included in the white list. Also issued seven export permissions for animal natural envelopes to the European Union after the samples were collected and ensuring their compliance with the requirements.
The food safety branch in Gharbia, Menoufia, Damietta, Dakahlia, Al-Sharqia, Aswan, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, South Sinai, and Faiyum 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.
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