The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS), held a workshop on Codex on 16 December 2019 in Aswan Governorate, Egypt. The workshop was the third in a series of initiatives which has included events in Cairo and Alexandria to support the Codex system in Egypt within the framework of the "Improving the National Food Control System” programme.

Participants at Aswan workshop December 2019

The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the Codex program in Egypt in terms of organizational structure, work procedures, the Egyptian Codex Contact Point and the relationship between Codex in Egypt and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Benefits include supporting effective participation of the different sectors in Egypt's governorates in Codex activities at the national and international level.

Participants included officials from the Cairo, Aswan, Qena, New Valley and Assiut Governorates, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, and the National Food Safety Authority.

Ashraf Afify (left) with Kamel Darwish

Egypt aiming to become a regional pioneer for Codex.

In his opening speech, Eng. Ashraf Afify, Chairman of EOS and Chairman of the Egyptian Codex Committee, said: “This workshop comes within the framework of the project entitled ‘Enhancing the Egyptian Capacities of Food Trade through an Improved National Food Control System’. Project activities include supporting the Codex System Egypt in collaboration with the Egyptian Codex Unit in the EOS in order for Egypt to become a pioneer in the Codex at the regional and international level."

"Codex is an open, transparent and comprehensive tool that helps facing the emerging challenges in the food sector, since international standards, code of practices and guidelines issued by Codex, contribute to maintaining and ensuring food safety, which reassures the public that the food eaten is safe, healthy and good,” said Kamel Darwish, Codex expert at FAO.

The workshop program included the definition of the EOS and Standards issued by the organization, in addition to a review of the role of scientific research in supporting Codex activities in Egypt. Other topics included the importance of partnerships between the private and government sectors in building the capacity of the Egyptian Codex which will lead to improved food safety and ensure fair and impartial practices in the food trade.

Hanan Fouad, Head of the Food Standards Department

"The workshop includes seminars and joint working groups, with the aim of presenting and explaining the Codex procedures to raise the knowledge about the Codex as an international body for setting food safety standards, contributing to a multi-lateral participatory process related to the Egyptian Codex Program and to identifying Codex committees of priority for Egypt," said Hanan Fouad, Head of the Food Standards Department at EOS and rapporteur of the Egyptian Codex Committee.

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