The Lebanese economy overcomes the effects of Abu Faoor’s food safety campaign

The food safety campaign spearheaded by Minister Abuo Faour last year do not seem to have had an overall negative impact on the food and tourism sectors in Lebanon. Economic expert Walid Abu Suleiman told Al Diyar newspaper that despite the shock wave caused by the campaign in the tourism sector, things have nevertheless settled back to normal and restaurants turnover has increased by 20%, adding that consumers have regained their trust in local production and in the tourism sector. Abu Suleiman confirmed that there was need for special emergency measures to protect the national economy since it was not dramatically affected by the food safety campaign. In parallel with that campaign, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, Mohammed Choucair, inaugurated a new food safety training centre. In an interview with the Al Diyar, Choucair noted that the training centre will organize next month, and in collaboration with selected Ministers, the graduation ceremony for some 750 students who successfully completed their courses at the Training Centre. Choucair stressed that any self-respecting organization should aim to acquire this degree which is likely to become compulsory according to Minister of Industry, Hussein Hajj Hassan. He also praised the collaboration between the private and the public sectors. Within the same vein, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim announced in a statement yesterday, and on the occasion of the safe food industry day in Lebanon, that seven food processing industries have succeeded in adopting the food safety management system which is based on international standards and have acquired ISO certification. Furthermore, and during the opening of the previously mentioned event which was organized by the Syndicate of Food Industrialists in parallel with the launch of the annual Horeca exhibition, Minister Hajj Hassan referred to the food safety campaign and denied allegations that it was targeting the food industry. He acknowledged that there were gaps in certain enterprises but that these gaps were largely over-ridden by the positive results recorded by the sector. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, 23 April 2015)