Dubai establishes a sustainable diet according to the highest international standards

Dubai Municipality organized, yesterday, in cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Food Protection Association (IAFP), and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), the third session of the Dubai Food Safety Forum in conjunction with the International Food Safety Day held this year under the slogan “Food Safety: Science and Decision Making”, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and the Organization The United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO), along with a group of governmental and private agencies and academic institutions.

The forum reviewed strategic axes on the importance of science as a basis for drafting policies and decisions in the field of food safety, discussing ways to understand and analyze food and governmental and societal efforts to ensure food safety from the farm to the table, and the development of monitoring control systems, evidence and innovation in a way that enhances the effectiveness of food supply chains.

The Director General of Dubai Municipality, Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, stressed that the Dubai Municipality is working to consolidate the foundations of a sustainable diet according to the highest international standards to provide the highest levels of life quality for the residents of Dubai, based on innovation, scientific research, leading practices and active partnerships based on integration between the government and private sectors, in a manner that guarantees the health and well -being of society and sustaining food.

He said that the forum embodies the firm commitment of the municipality to strengthen the food safety system in the emirate, noting that these efforts are consistent with Dubai’s vision to be a leading future city in building a sustainable and integrated diet, and maintaining the flexibility of the global food supply chain thanks to its location as a commercial and economic center linking different parts of the world.

For his part, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Mohamed Saeed Al -Nuaimi, said during his participation in the forum that the UAE is the safety of food as a top priority within its strategic vision to promote national food security through the national food security strategy 2051 in which food safety constitutes one of the main pillars, and the Ministry works in cooperation with the National Food Safety Committee and all partners from the supervisory, academic and private sector to develop an integrated regulatory system, It depends on digital transformation, enhancing inspection capabilities, evaluating risk, launching qualitative initiatives such as the Federal Smart Gate (Zad), and the early informing system of biological security, which contributes to raising the efficiency of supply chains and ensuring safe food trading for the consumer.

He said: «We are witnessing today a legislative and supervisory development that enhances the position of the UAE as a global center for applying best practices in food safety, and we are working in cooperation with (FAO) to develop strategic indicators to measure the performance of food control systems in a way that keeps pace with the latest international studies and technologies, and all these efforts translate our commitment to protecting human health and promoting economic growth and attracting investments in the food and agricultural food sector, in a way that supports development goals Sustainable and ensures the sustainability of our resources for future generations.

For his part, the commander of the regional program “assigned” the chief economist – the office of the regional Al -Faw Organization in the Near East and North Africa, Dr. Ahmed Mukhtar, said that the “FAO” appreciates the efforts of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Dubai in building an integrated national food safety systems that are based on the scientific approach, and are based on transparency and governance in a way that enhances public health and supports safe trade, stressing that food is not a food that is not safe For everyone.

He said that the “FAO” estimates that foods transmitted through food affects about 600 million people annually with economic losses exceeding 110 billion dollars in low and medium -income countries, and on the International Food Safety Day organized this year under the slogan “Food Safety: Science and the Foundation of Decisions” The FAO confirms that science constitutes the basis on which proper decisions are built in the field of food safety, through assessing risks And setting policies and standards that guarantee the protection of consumer health and enhance food confidence.

Muhammad Saeed Al -Nuaimi:

• The UAE is the safety of food is a top priority within its strategic vision.