DOHA: The third annual Food Safety and Nutrition Summit kicked off on Monday. Hosted by the Ministry of Public Health, the summit is organised by the US Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the GCC Standardization Organization.
The summit serves as a platform to exchange information on the best practices in food safety and nutrition. Representatives from the US government, academic institutions, international and regional organizations, as well as speakers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will participate. The summit offers an opportunity to discuss national policies and systems for food safety and nutrition, as well as address key challenges in the area.
Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari said, "The ministry hosting the Food Safety and Nutrition Summit for the first time is significant given the vital issues it addresses, in addition to the paramount importance of food safety at the national and global levels, which is especially important given the increasing challenges and the global burden posed by foodborne diseases, as highlighted in reports issued by the World Health Organization and other specialized agencies."
She added, in a speech delivered on her behalf by Wassan Abdullah Al Baker, Director of the Food Safety Department at the Ministry of Public Health, "The concept of hosting such summits and various conferences at the regional and international levels represents one of the most effective tools in mitigating the multifaceted, evolving, and transnational risks associated with food. To note, the State of Qatar has successfully achieved numerous achievements in food safety, including obtaining international accreditations for all its inspection and analysis activities, as well as for launching the electronic food monitoring system (Watheq), which operates by approaching risk with the highest and best international practices."
For his part, Ambassador of the United States to Qatar HE Timmy T Davis said, "In light of the robust commercial ties between the USand Qatar, with $157mn in bilateral trade in agricultural and agricultural-related products last year and $3.6bn in trade with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Food Safety and Nutrition Summit stands as a pivotal platform for deepening cooperation in these critical areas."
The ambassador underscored the significance of leveraging partnerships to achieve shared goals, thanking the Gulf Standardization Organization, Qatar's Ministry of Public Health, and Qatar General Organization for Standards for collaborating with the USDepartment of Agriculture on this important event.
The summit covers many important topics related to food safety and nutrition, including the role of the Codex Alimentarius (Food Code) in enhancing food safety systems, priorities for the Codex Alimentarius committees during the current period, and partnerships between government bodies and the private sector. The topics discussed aim to ensure compliance with the Codex Alimentarius and industry standards. National nutrition strategies will also be presented, showcasing the experience of participating countries and highlighting the food industry's role in implementing these strategies.
Discussions at the summit will also focus on dealing with pesticide residues, major challenges, proposed solutions, as well as the most important efforts by GCC countries to enhance food safety systems and facilitate global trade. The discussions also explored the concept of a circular economy. The GCC countries presented their experiences, with a focus on how standards and regulations can support the topics discussed.