Third annual Food Safety andNutrition summit kicks off

Qatar News Agency
Doha

Third Annual Food Safety and Nutrition Summit kicked off on Monday. Hosted by the Ministry of Public Health, the summit is organized by the US Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the GCC Standardization Organization.

The Third Annual Food Safety and Nutrition 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 are participating.

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 stated, “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.”

Her Excellency 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.”

Ambassador of the United States to Qatar HE Timmy T. Davis said, “In light of the robust commercial ties between the U.S. and Qatar, with $157 million in bilateral trade in agricultural and agricultural-related products last year and $3.6 billion 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.”

HE the Ambassador underscored the significance of leveraging partnerships to achieve shared goals, thanking the Gulf Standardization Organization, Qatars Ministry of Public Health, and Qatar General Organization for Standards for collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on this important event.