Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has begun the final assessment of the Food Safety Index for The Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where various local and federal government agencies related to the Food Safety Index participate in the assessment.
The food safety index aims to evaluate and raise the rate of the Food Safety of The Emirate of Abu Dhabi and continuously improve the quality control system and legislation applied, which reflects positively on the quality of life of residents in Abu Dhabi and the UAE ingeneral, in addition to the aim of improving integration and coordination of roles between the relevant institutions at the local and federal levels to strengthen the food safety system in the UAE, ensure the protection of human health and develop a food and agricultural sector with development In cooperation with FAO,it will continue to apply 150 approved international standards, with the criteria divided into four main axes: input, resources, inspection and control, communication with stakeholders and finally the focus of scientific development and continuous improvement.
H.E. Saeed Al Bahri Al Ameri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority said that the project to evaluate the rate of the food safety index is in line with the leadership's directions to ensure the strengthening of the food safety system and conform to the best international practices in this field.
As part of its vision and commitment to achieving the best requirements of well-being and the happiness of citizens, residents, and visitors to the UAE, ADAFSA is stressing the commitment to achieve the highest rates of food safety and adopt best practices and solution. To meet food challenges, and to realize the Government's vision of developing food security and a sustainable agricultural sector Al Ameri added.
He explained that "according to the WHO Data, an estimation of 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die after eating contaminated food every year therefor, access to safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health, as that the impact of foodborne diseases extends beyond health impact, it impedes socioeconomic, tourism and trade development.
"Through this indicator, we seek to look ahead and learn about the best global practices in the field of food safety and quality, by leveraging the expertise of developed countries, strengthening the relationship with relevant international institutions, and building positive partnerships with them to ensure that they contribute to building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy that has the capacity to compete and influence its regional and international environment.
His Excellency the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority expressed his appreciation and thanks to FAO for its continued contribution to the development and evaluation of the food safety system in Abu Dhabi, and praised the efforts of local and federal institutions related to the evaluation of the Food Safety Index in Abu Dhabi, stressing that the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority is proud to cooperate with all concerned locally, regionally and internationally with the aim of upgrading the Sala system. The emirate of Abu Dhabi has been placed at the forefront of the world's capitals in this field in order to achieve the vision and aspirations of good leadership on development projects and the overall renaissance.
