Safeguarding the Region's Food Supply: Addressing Food Safety Challenges in the Near East and North Africa

The latest edition of a regional bulletin has shed light on the pressing issue of food safety in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. The report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), delves into the challenges, strategies, and actions being taken to improve the overall food safety landscape in this diverse and dynamic part of the world.

Empowering Consumers, Protecting the Food Chain

Navigating the Complexities of Food Safety in the NENA Region

The NENA region, which encompasses countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, faces a unique set of food safety challenges. Despite the region's efforts to establish robust food safety management systems, consumers remain at a high risk of exposure to contaminated food and foodborne diseases. This is largely due to factors such as the region's tropical climate, the use of unsafe water supplies for irrigation and food washing, and the weaknesses in infrastructure, including storage, roads, and cold chains. These issues contribute to the rise in food spoilage, a problem that is expected to worsen with the ongoing effects of climate change.

Addressing the Gaps in Coordination and Capacity

The FAO's brief highlights the lack of coordination among sectors working on food safety, as well as the limited capacity for risk assessment and science-based approaches. The shortage of quality data is a significant barrier to the adoption of risk-based preventive systems and effective risk management. To address these challenges, the FAO has undertaken a study to map food safety and quality in the NENA region, identifying several contributing factors, such as inadequate knowledge of good agricultural and husbandry practices among producers, excessive use of chemicals and drugs during food and animal production, insufficient controls, and a lack of awareness throughout the supply chain.

Tackling Water Scarcity and Other Emerging Threats

The report also delves into the emerging challenges posed by water scarcity, a growing concern due to rapid population growth and the impacts of climate change. Other issues highlighted include the overuse of pesticides, the presence of antibiotic residues, contamination by mycotoxins, and food adulteration. These threats underscore the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to safeguarding the region's food supply.

Strengthening the National Food Control System

In response to these challenges, the FAO is working on a report that covers various components of the national food control system. This includes the requirements of authorities responsible for creating or issuing regulations, developing standards, accreditation, certification, inspection, testing, risk assessment, and metrology, as well as their involvement and responsibilities in food control and enforcement. The report aims to identify five priority areas, including reinforced control over primary food production, the promotion of food safety and control management, and the recognition of the significance of an integrated data management system for preparedness and response to outbreaks and emergencies.

Collaborative Efforts and Ongoing Initiatives

The NENA region has seen a flurry of food safety-related events and initiatives in recent times. These include the third Annual Food Safety and Nutrition Summit for GCC countries in Qatar in May 2024, a conference on combating food fraud in the UAE in April, and a workshop and training session hosted by the FAO in June to strengthen food safety assessment practices. Additionally, World Food Safety Day was marked in June with the help of the WHO regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean, further underscoring the region's commitment to addressing these critical issues.

Calls for Data: Strengthening the Evidence Base

Alongside these efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued calls for data on the occurrence of lead in spices, dried bark, and dried culinary herbs, as well as the presence of tropane alkaloids in food and feeds at different production stages. These data collection initiatives aim to enhance the geographic representativeness of the available information, ultimately supporting the development of more effective risk-based preventive systems and risk management strategies.