The Oman International Food Safety and Qualities Conference began here yesterday under the auspices of Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion.
The three-day conference, held as part of the Food Safety Week organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Water Resources, offers a platform for scientific discussions, working papers, and panel discussions. Collaborating with the Ministry are Sultan Qaboos University, Quebec-based Laval University, and the International Association for Food Legal Sciences, among numerous other international bodies.
It aims to address various themes, including artificial intelligence and modern technologies in food safety, managing food risks for food security, the role of food safety and quality in promoting sustainability in the economic sector, and contemporary challenges in the field of food safety and quality.
Dr Hussain al Masroori, Director General of the Food Safety and Quality Center, emphasized the Ministry's belief in the importance of scientific research in enhancing food quality and safety.
“The organization of this conference, of course, comes from the belief of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, represented by the Food Safety and Quality Centre (FSQC) in the importance of scientific research. There is indeed a remarkable development in scientific research. This development has naturally led to the presence of modern products that are easy to manufacture and also in the operations of supply chains and logistics,” he shared.
Dr Al Masroori added: “However, with all this development, difficulties and challenges occur from time to time. Great variety in industrial food products and the presence of new products created a challenge for regulators in tracking and managing these type of new food products. In addition, to the emergence of new types of microbes and viruses, which requires compatibility of standards. In addition to the antibiotic resistance, which threatens public health. So the process does not stop and scientific research must continue.”
Several international bodies have participated in the conference, including the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), the United States Department of Agriculture, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the International Union of Food Science and Technology Shaikh Saud bin Nasser al Khusaibi, CEO of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), stressed the importance of the conference during his keynote speech “The organization of this conference represents an open opportunity for experts, specialists, stakeholders and partners from all sectors to exchange global, regional and national knowledge, experiences and practices on global developments in the field of food safety and quality.
Streamlining trade, enhancing food safety, nutrition and food security, enhancing transparency with regard to food control legislation, keeping abreast of modern technologies, and increasing capacity building programs for specialists, residents, auditors and inspectors in the legislative and oversight agencies to keep abreast of the latest developments in this field.” An exhibition is taking place alongside the conference.
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