BEIRUT: Several government ministers and private sector representatives announced Wednesday the launch of a new food safety training center at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The center will be aimed at educating the food industry about a wide variety of health codes to bring it up to global food safety standards.
“[The center] came about ... following the food safety story,” said Charles Arbid, president of the Lebanese Franchise Association.
“[Private sector representatives and ministers] met on Nov. 22 here in the [chamber] ... We said that we are going to launch this center and this is what we’ve done today.”
The “food safety story” began last month when Health Minister Wael Abu Faour named and shamed on live television several restaurants for subpar food safety.
Since then, his campaign has spread to slaughterhouses, dairy factories and water sanitation plants and led to the closure of scores of establishments.
The center is the latest response to the scandal and is one of the first to be led by the private sector.
It will be free for establishments to use and is funded by the Chamber of Commerce, LFA and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce.
The training includes two levels: the first is an introduction to food safety procedures, while the second is more in-depth and covers health standards. The training totals six hours and those who pass a final exam will receive a certificate.
Arbid said the center would begin issuing certifications in mid-January.
The goal is to bring establishments up to the U.N. “Codex Alimentarius” international food safety standard, which encompasses issues from labeling to hygiene.
“This work should’ve been done maybe 20 years ago, but now that we are here, let’s take the opportunity to make a positive shock out of it,” Arbid said, contrasting it with the negative shock the scandal has had on the public.
Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan, called for the certification to be mandatory within a few years.
At the same time, he said only 1 percent of Lebanon’s $400 million annual agroindustry exports were rejected by other nations and not usually due to safety concerns.
Abu Faour has clashed with several other ministers, including Hasan, since the food safety campaign started. Economy Minister Alain Hakim was one of the first ministers to criticize the campaign, describing it as “shooting ourselves in the head.”
Abu Faour said, “Contrary to some people’s claims that this campaign aims at ruining the economy, it has one goal: [protecting] the health of citizens and institutions.”
All Cabinet members against the campaign seemed to have halted their opposition after it received widespread public support.
Abu Faour and Hakim are both part of a committee headed by the prime minister that is tasked with improving food safety standards.
A new food safety law has been drafted, which parliamentarians hope will be passed next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment