ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is organising a pioneering international conference in the region, marking the first of its kind in the area, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance food safety. The conference aims to showcase best practices and global advancements in combating food fraud.
Themed “Together to Combat Food Fraud,” the conference is scheduled to take place on 23rd and 24th April in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It will feature participation from representatives of regulatory authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, alongside experts from leading global regulators in the field of combating food fraud and international organisations.
Additionally, representatives from regulatory authorities at the UAE level and stakeholders from the private sector including producers, manufacturers, and food establishments will also be in attendance.
The objectives of the conference include reviewing the best practices and global developments in combatin
g food fraud, discussing the implementation of anti-food fraud procedures at the national level, exchanging information and experiences among participating authorities on detecting food fraud cases and verifying fraudulent practices, and assessing the impact of food fraud practices on food supply chains to identify necessary measures to combat these practices.
Furthermore, the conference aims to develop early warning systems, and risk management strategies, and enhance the detection, prediction, and evaluation of food fraud cases, while raising awareness of the risks posed to consumers and the food sector due to food fraud.
This conference presents an exceptional opportunity to exchange international best practices in combating food fraud, contributing to enhanced cooperation between regulatory authorities in the country and GCC countries. This collaboration supports efforts to enhance food security and achieve global leadership in this field.
Dr. Mariam Hareb Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director-General for Operat
ional Affairs at ADAFSA, stressed the conference’s importance in reviewing and exchanging the latest global practices and developments in combating food fraud and developing a roadmap for collective work at the local and regional levels to monitor and combat food fraud practices across all stages of the food chain.
“ADAFSA is currently implementing a comprehensive roadmap to develop a strategy to combat food fraud throughout all stages of the food chain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Dr. Al Suwaidi said. “This requires intensifying national efforts, cooperation, coordination, and integration among the various regulatory bodies in the country and stakeholders from producers, manufacturers, food establishments, and consumers to protect society and support fair practices in the food trade.” She added.
Organising this international conference underscores ADAFSA’s commitment to promoting food safety and health and protecting consumers from the risks of food fraud. This is achieved through strengthening cooperatio
n with various stakeholders and developing food control systems.
The conference provides a valuable platform for dialogue for all food sector stakeholders in the GCC countries to discuss global food fraud challenges, exchange best practices to protect consumers and establishments from falling victim to it and reduce its spread. It also offers an ideal opportunity to identify and effectively combat fraudulent practices, exchange expertise, and foster cooperation among participants.
In addition to the conference, ADAFSA is organising an exhibition to showcase the latest technologies used in detecting food fraud. ADAFSA experts will present several papers and presentations on its efforts in combating food fraud.
ADAFSA is committed to supporting efforts to combat food fraud by participating in relevant global events, intensifying its inspection efforts on imported food products entering the emirate through its ports and points of sale, and educating consumers on how to identify, deal with and report food frau
d practices.
This is in line with its overall efforts to maintain food safety, increase consumer confidence in the safety of the food chain and achieve global leadership in food security.
Many countries are seeking to strengthen their regulatory systems to include measures to address the risks of deliberate non-compliance with proper food handling practices throughout the food chain. These fraudulent practices are often motivated by economic gain and pose a threat to public health and food safety.
They can lead to a loss of consumer confidence in the brands producing these fraudulent products and damage the reputation of food regulatory authorities, ultimately affecting food safety. Global economic losses due to food fraud are estimated to be over US$30 billion annually.
Source: Emirates News Agency