Abu Dhabi begins final assessment of food safety index

Abu Dhabi has begun the final assessment of its food safety index aimed at evaluating and raising the rate of food safety and quality.

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) index is being conducted in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), with participation of various local and federal government agencies.

The index aims improve the quality control system and legislation, while improving integration and coordination of roles between the institutions at the local and federal levels to strengthen the food safety system in the UAE to ensure protection of human health.

ADAFSA will continue to apply 150 approved international standards, with the criteria divided into four main categories: input, resources, inspection and control.

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 conforms to the best international practices in this field.

ADAFSA is striving to achieve the highest rates of food safety and adopt best practices to meet food safety challenges, and to realize the government’s vision of developing food security and a sustainable agricultural sector, Al Ameri added.

He said that according to the WHO Data, an estimated 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die after eating contaminated food every year and thus access to safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health, as the impact of food-borne diseases extends beyond health impact, and it also impedes socio-economic, 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."