MOCCAE Hosts Workshop To Explore GCC Countries' Food Accreditation Experiences For Exports

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) recently organised a workshop in Dubai. The event focused on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries' experiences in accrediting food facilities exporting to member states. This initiative highlights the UAE's commitment to sustainable food security by promoting expertise exchange and integration among GCC nations.

Marwan Abdullah Al Zaabi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Regions Sector at MOCCAE, welcomed participants. He stated, "The UAE has made significant progress in accrediting establishments that export food products of animal origin, starting from assessments to evaluate the veterinary health status of exporting countries, through to the alignment of health certification models."

The workshop aligns with MOCCAE's strategic goals to boost food security within the UAE. By showcasing best practices in accrediting food facilities, it emphasised ensuring food safety at the source. This approach aims to minimise risks associated with diseases and pests crossing borders through imported foods.

Participants included technical teams from GCC food safety authorities and regulatory bodies. Representatives from relevant agencies and local authorities in the UAE also attended. These stakeholders are responsible for overseeing food safety standards across the region.

The workshop is part of recommendations from the 8th Ministerial Committee for Food Safety meeting held on 7th March 2024, in Doha. The ministerial meeting stressed adopting a unified vision for overseeing food exports within the GCC Guide. This aims to enhance efforts towards completing customs union requirements and economic agreements among member states.

During discussions, each country shared its experience with accrediting food facilities abroad. Three main topics were covered: products of animal origin, halal food product accreditation mechanisms, and conformity assessment bodies' roles in verifying compliance with safety standards.

Addressing Challenges in Halal Food Handling

The Ministry aims to streamline accrediting mechanisms for international food facilities by following best practices locally and globally. This involves identifying challenges proactively and offering recommendations for improvement. A key focus is addressing issues related to handling and verifying halal foods throughout the supply chain.

Efforts ensure export protocols comply with health certification models outlined in the GCC Guide for Control on Imported Foods. Approval is granted only after verifying compliance with safety and halal standards.

Celebrating Milestones in Electronic Services

This year marks a decade since MOCCAE introduced electronic services for accrediting such establishments. These services have facilitated significant progress in ensuring that export protocols align with health certification models outlined in regional guidelines.

At the workshop's conclusion, several speakers and participating teams were honoured for their ongoing collaboration in enhancing GCC countries' food security efforts.

With inputs from WAM