Food safety campaign to continue with deadlines for factories to comply with the norms

The Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, confirmed that that the food safety campaign shall continue and will be indifferent to any form of denigration.   The Minister was speaking in a press conference convened yesterday with the participation of representatives of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture as well as industrialists, farmers, as well as importers of drugs and fertilizers.  He added that the livelihoods of agricultural producers is sacrosanct and is a “red line” and clarified that he has issued a memorandum reference 5/1 regarding the distribution of fresh milk from farmers and in which he asked all dairy factories to abide by the decision to receive this fresh milk.  Chehayeb also spoke about non licensed agricultural drugs and the contraband from Syria and noted that he has addressed a detailed dossier to the current Minister of Interior and Municipalities asking him to halt these practices and hold those responsible liable.  Chehayeb spoke also about the owners of non complying food factories and added that his Ministries has given them a deadline to secure a needed commercial registration lest the Ministry will take action against them.

(Source: Al-Diyar & Al-Nahar 24 december 2014)