National Codex Alimentarius to ensure the right of citizens to safe food

The National Codex Committee for Lebanon and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, concluded yesterday the implementation of the National Codex Alimentarius Structural Support Project under the patronage of Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb who was represented by his advisor, Anwar Daou, and with participation of a number of concerned figures. During the commemoration ceremony which took place in the Beirut suburb of Hadath, FAO Regional MENA Director, Fatmeh Hashem, highlighted the importance of the ongoing process of harmonising the local food criteria with the Codex standards. She stressed the need to work hard on protecting consumers and secure access to international markets of made-in-Lebanon food products, as well as to enhance the country’s role as a regional coordinator for the above Committee in the Near East. For his part, Daou noted that the “people have the right to safe and good quality foods,” adding that “food-borne diseases could be fatal sometimes and have a bad impact on national economy, and could also be detrimental to the reputation of the producing country, and therefore affect the tourism and trade industries. Finally, Daou emphasised that commitment to global market requirements has become a priority, thus referring to the country’s recent approval of the food safety law. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, December 30, 2015)