Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has spent 62 hours for various kind of awareness activities last month. It includes 28 activities such as lectures, campaigns, workshops and field visits & trips. The activities were mainly targeting students, workers in food facilities, animal breeders and ADFCA employees.

Through the 23 lecture programs held in February, the authority interacted with near about 1300 students including boys and girls and educated them on a range of topics such as 'safe shopping', 'food poisoning', 'food and additives', 'food safety principles', 'handwashing', 'preventive measures while handling food' and 'healthy meal box'

During the reporting period, ADFCA organized 5 field visits for students in which they toured to several food facilities to watch the food processing and other procedures carried out to ensure safety of products. Visits to research stations affiliated to ADFCA were also held as part of awareness building program.

Campaigns were held in fish markets in the emirate in order to raise awareness among the sellers about the concept of 'self-control' as well the 'collective responsibility' in the matters related to food safety. Special campaigns were also held to educate fish facility owners and staff about the ban on Sheri and Safi during its spawning season.

An awareness lecture was held in Al Mirfaa in Western Region targeting students, teachers as well as parents in which ADFCA's role in guaranteeing food safety in the emirate was explained in detail. A sketch of ADFCA's activities including awareness dissemination, control activities, regulation enforcing, inspections and other services throughout the food chain, farm to fork, was delivered to the participants. Other scientific topics related to food safety and personal hygiene were also discussed before the 300 strong audience in this program.

It is noted that ADFCA is constantly striving to reach out to various sections of the society in order to raise the awareness level about food safety by activating diverse means of activities and programs being part of its efforts to escalate the food safety situation in the emirate.