About
Members
Meetings
Regional Standards

The CCNE Region - Regional Coordinator Saudi Arabia

In 1999 the 23rd session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission established the Regional Coordinating Committee for the Near East, bringing together countries in the Near East Region (for FAO) and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (for WHO). The committee held its first meeting in Cairo, Egypt in 2001.

The current regional coordinator for the Near East is based in the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in Riyadh.

The coordinator’s goals in leading the region in Codex include developing and strengthening Codex Contact Points and National Codex Committees as well as improving communication and coordination amongst CCNE members, with other regions and the Codex Secretariat.

A further objective is to develop the exchange of scientific and technical expertise amongst experienced and less experienced countries in the region.

The coordinator aims to promote the use of Codex standards as a basis for national legislation and regulations and continue work developing and reviewing Codex standards taking into account regional interests.

CCNE Coordinator

All information on Codex is public and free.
‍
For regional enquiries contact:
‍
‍CCNE Secretariat
Saudi Food & Drug Authority
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 11 2038222 Ext: 3347

Email: [email protected]

The United Arab Emirates’ food safety measures highlighted in World Food Safety Day event

Jul 2, 2021, 14:57 PM by System

The Dubai municipality hosted a virtual World Food Safety Day symposium on 7 June where national and local municipal efforts were showcased. The virtual event also brought together food safety professionals, food safety training providers and government officials from across the Emirates in a discussion on relevant topics, with speakers also from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

For FAO, Senior Food Safety Officer, Catherine Bessy, gave a presentation on “Assessing national food control systems, a sound basis to ensure food safety.” Bessy highlighted “the importance of strong national food control systems in protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, as per Codex Alimentarius guidelines.” She also showcased the usefulness of a robust assessment approach, such as the FAO/WHO food control assessment tool, a key instrument to identify priorities for improvement, monitoring progress and improving trust and accountability.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and food safety officials representing different emirates highlighted the important measures and initiatives undertaken to enhance food safety in food establishments across the country.

The forum discussions were aimed at food safety professionals working in the food business and government officials, as well as food import and export companies. A series of awareness workshops was also organized for municipality employees and government agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Public Prosecution, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Department of Economic Development. These workshops focused on “the importance of promoting food safety awareness and directing attention to the prevention of foodborne diseases, and advice on correct practices when handling food.”

The municipality has made a short video about the event

 

Read more:

Watch the webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pppXeiUjQIs