The Food Safety Authority issues its final report for the year 2024

The media center of the National Food Safety Authority issued its 50th and final weekly report for the year 2024, for the period from December 28 – January 3, 2025, which included many efforts, beginning with the activities of the Authority’s various departments, as the General Administration of Factory Control carried out 79 oversight missions in cooperation with the Industrial Development and Industrial Control Authority, and a school feeding certificate was issued during the past week.

 

The number of examination, inspection and approval visits carried out by the Department of Control of Packing Stations and Centers reached 51 visits, and the Department issued 2,401 export permits. of agricultural crops to 1,229 exporting companies.

The meeting of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Committee was also attended at the headquarters of the Agricultural Crops Export Council to present and discuss the mechanism and procedures for withdrawing samples of medicinal and aromatic plants by the Authority at the beginning of 2025, and to respond to exporters’ inquiries in this regard. The number of food consignments exported, according to the report of the General Administration Information Center for both exports and imports at the Authority, reached 6,100 consignments, with approximately 216 consignments. One thousand tons for 1,700 exporting companies, including 642 types of vegetables, fruits, flour, and various food products.

Tomatoes topped the list of Egyptian vegetables exported last week as well, with 10,000 tons, followed by beans of all kinds, with a total of 8,000 tons. Then sweet potatoes, with a total of 7 thousand tons, and the total number of exported types of vegetables reached 65 types, amounting to about 47 thousand tons.

And what Citrus fruits continued to top the list of exported fruits last week with a total of 55 thousand tons, followed by strawberries with 7 thousand tons, then dates with a total of 5 thousand tons. The total number of types of exported fruits reached 40 types with about 70 thousand tons.

Sudan was represented. Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Libya are the largest countries receiving Egyptian exports during the past week, out of a total of 180 importing countries. 

And occupied Cairo Airport Port ranked first in the number of food consignments exported from it, with a total of 1,300 consignments, followed by Safaga Port with 1,240 consignments, then Alexandria Port with a total of 680 consignments.

The number of incoming food consignments reached 2,255 consignments, amounting to about 415 thousand tons, for 1,020 companies. Imported, varied between 242 varieties of wheat, broad beans, various oils and soybeans, out of 77 country, and Russia represented the largest country exporting to Egypt, followed by Romania, Australia and America.

The port of Alexandria came first in the number of food consignments received with a total of 710 consignments, followed by Cairo Airport Port, which ranked second with 424 consignments, then Damietta Port, with a total of 365 consignments. 

The General Administration for Special Food Registration and Licensing registered 40 producers and 17 companies and carried out 2 visits. Oversight, the administration also examined 447 new products and issued 17 free sale certificates.

The Strategic Commodities Administration carried out 3 inspection visits to wheat storage sites, as well as 19 inspection visits to rice mill sites.

The total number of complaints received to the Authority reached 35 complaints from the various complaints receiving agencies (the electronic portal for the unified government complaints system – the Council of Ministers), the Consumer Protection Agency, in addition to complaints submitted directly to the Authority. 34 complaints were closed and are being examined. 1 complaint.

The Complaints Department inspectors carried out campaigns on 461 food establishments to ensure the safety of food products offered in the governorates of Gharbia, Dakahlia, Alexandria, Port Said, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sohag, Aswan, North Sinai, Giza, and the cities of Shorouk. and the 10th of Ramadan, with all necessary corrective measures being taken in the event of any observations related to food safety requirements.

With regard to the activities of the Chain Control Department Commercial, 42 oversight missions were carried out on branches of commercial chain establishments to ensure that these establishments meet food safety requirements in the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Minya, Dakahlia, Red Sea, Qalyubia, Beheira, Ismailia, Menoufia, Gharbia, Luxor and Suez.

1,160 public store establishments with food activities were registered, and the Public Store Registration and Licensing Department conducted 610 inspections. For public stores, while 488 establishments met the requirements of the National Food Safety Authority during the past week.

The Storage Facilities Control Department carried out 13 oversight missions over food stores in the governorates of Qalyubia, Sharkia, Beheira, Dakahlia, Beni Suef, Cairo and Giza.

8 stores were registered, bringing the total number of stores registered with the National Food Safety Authority to 924 stores. 8 warehouses were completed, bringing the total number of warehouses that fulfilled the authority’s requirements to 396.

With regard to the management of dairy suppliers, 13 oversight missions were carried out on milk shops and milk collection centers in the governorates of Beheira, Beni Suef, Dakahlia, Menoufia, and Ismailia. , Fayoum and Gharbia.

With regard to the management of licensing and control of tourist facilities, 61 visits were made, including Periodic monitoring and licensing inspection in governorates  Cairo, Giza, the Red Sea, Alexandria and Aswan.

The Department of Mobile Food Units carried out 10 inspection missions on food units in the governorates of Cairo, Marsa Matrouh and Sohag. 

The Authority’s Grievances Committee carried out an inspection 480 grievance requests received from various ports.

The General Administration of Slaughterhouses conducted 10 inspection visits to poultry and meat slaughterhouses. And intestine factories, in addition to 56 follow-up visits to the manufacturing of natural animal packaging in intestine factories, and 1 new intestine factory was registered with the authority.

The administration issued 27 export permits for natural animal packaging to European Union countries after collecting samples and ensuring that they comply with the requirements. The General Authority for Standardization and Quality committee was present to finalize the intestinal standard and discuss the specification for meat processing plants.

The Department of Control of Contact Materials Factories carried out For food, there are 15 supervisory missions in the governorates of Giza, Qalyubia, Sharkia, Cairo, Menoufia, and Gharbia, and 3 new establishments were registered last week with the National Food Safety Authority.

The General Administration for Fish and Aquatic Products Control carried out 8 supervisory visits to… Fishing boats/vessels, fish factories and suppliers, export companies and processing units.

A meeting was also attended at the headquarters of the Lakes and Fisheries Protection and Development Authority, to discuss The mechanism for exporting marine fish to European Union countries, and the presence of the Standards and Quality Committee to discuss the final draft of the standard for canned sardines as well as canned shrimp.

As for the Authority’s inspection campaigns on markets in various governorates, they came within the framework of the efforts of the Authority’s branches to tighten and tighten control over establishments. Food Safety, in implementation of the directives of Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, to ensure the safety of the food products offered and to preserve the health of consumers in various governorates.

The Food Safety Branch In Gharbia Governorate, 25 expanded inspection campaigns were implemented on 200 food establishments to ensure the implementation of food safety requirements in the various cities and centers of the governorate (Tanta, Zefta, Qutour, Basyoun, Al-Santa, Kafr  Al-Zayat, Al-Mahalla, and Samannoud), and these campaigns resulted in the seizure of half a ton of cheese unfit for human consumption, and 300 kg of expired meat.

And within the framework of the awareness-raising and educational role of the National Food Safety Authority to raise the degree of public awareness towards improving special measures. In order to ensure food safety and promote healthy food practices, 23 food facilities were visited and directions were given to the necessity of adhering to food safety requirements in those facilities, and applying corrective measures. Based on these directives, 15 establishments were registered, and 9 Public Prosecution decisions were implemented.

We also participated in large-scale campaigns with the governorate, the Supply Directorate, the Supply Investigation Department, the Veterinary Medicine Directorate, and the Health Directorate. These campaigns resulted in the seizure and withdrawal of samples of a quantity of food materials suspected of being Its quantity is estimated at 3 tons (baked goods, spices, fish), suitable for human consumption, and all seized items were seized to take legal measures.

They were also searched and examined. Food safety in the General Administration of Security, the Administration of the Security Forces, and the rehabilitation and reform centers in the governorate, and the supervision of the supply of meat and poultry in the hospitals of the Gharbia Governorate.

The Food Safety Branch in the Dakahlia Governorate implemented 16 inspection campaigns, some of which were joint with other regulatory authorities (the Presidency of the City Council, the Health Directorate).   98 food facilities were visited in centers and some villages within the governorate (Mit Ghamr, Sinbellaween, Aja, Tami al-Amdid, Beni Ubaid, Mansoura, Matareya, and Talkha), and these campaigns resulted in the destruction of a quantity of food items unfit for human consumption, and the confiscation of food items. 89 kg of meat, poultry and oils unfit for human consumption.

The branch of the Food Safety Authority in Sohag Governorate carried out 5 Inspection campaigns were carried out on 17 food establishments in the areas of (Maragha, Saqalta, Bandar Sohag), and a quantity of expired foodstuffs that were unfit for human consumption were destroyed. Food establishments not registered with the authority were also alerted to the need to register, complete licensing procedures, and apply requirements for food safety.

The 10th of Ramadan branch carried out 3 inspection campaigns on 29 food facilities in the city of Belbeis and the city of Abu Hammad. In Sharkia Governorate, these campaigns resulted in a deficiency in food safety requirements in those establishments, and they were warned and given a period to rectify their conditions and avoid violations.

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