Doha, Qatar: The third annual Food Safety and Nutrition Summit kicked off yesterday. Hosted by the Ministry of Public Health, the two day the summit is organised by the US Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the GCC Standardization Organization.
The 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 organisations, as well as speakers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will participate. 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 H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari said, "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."
She said, 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."
H E Timmy T Davis, Ambassador of the United States to Qatar, underscored the significance of leveraging partnerships to achieve shared goals, saying, “This summit couldn’t have come at a better time, showcasing our commitment to strengthening ties and sharing best practices. Our food safety work is an example of a central principle that guides us in many areas: leveraging partnerships achieves greater impact than what we could have accomplished alone.”
