News From : DagangHalal.com (27 Dec 2010)
DUBAI, Dec. 27, 2010 (News Agencies)– . As a country which imports a large proportion of its food from outside, safety is a major concern for UAE. As part of its ongoing efforts to address the issue the country has been hosting a number of conferences. The Sixth Dubai International Food Safety Conference will bring together leaders in the field of food safety to discuss one of the most relevant and timely topics – Food Safety in the Emerging Economies. The conference will be held under the patronage of Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum from 27 February to 2 March, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality on Tuesday announced the activities of the conference in the presence of Eng. Salem Bin Mesmar, Assistant Director General for Health, Safety and Environment Monitoring Sector, Obaid Salem Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General for International Affairs and Partnerships Sector, Eng. Essa Al Maidoor, Assistant Director General for Engineering and Planning Sector and Khalid Mohammed Sharif, Director of Food Control Department and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference. Lootah said that prominent food scares and changes in the international trading environment in the recent years have brought food safety to the forefront of international food policy concerns. “Food control is a process that is becoming increasingly complex with the global trends and Dubai is not different,” he said. Lootah quoted some data to explain the complexity of the situation in Dubai. “The number of food establishments has increased from 11,752 in 2009 to 13,761 in 2010. UAE imports more than 90% of the foods consumed in the country and 80% of this is imported through Dubai. Total imports have increased from approximately 4.8 million tonnes in 2009 to 6 million tonnes in 2010. Number of countries exporting food to Dubai was 145 in 2009 and it is 149 in 2010. Foods imported from six of the main emerging economies were 51% in 2009 and 58% in 2010,” he said. “Recent trends in food control measures include an increased emphasis on food safety regulations in international trade, tightening of standards, re-orientation of private sector quality assurance techniques towards preventive management, and a corresponding shift by regulatory agencies toward process-based standards including mandatory HACCP,” pointed out Lootah.
– Halal.com