Manama: Dr. Jaleela bint Al Sayed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health, chaired the 10th meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Committee for Food Safety, which was conducted via video conference. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, also attended the meeting.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Dr. Hasan emphasized Bahrain's commitment to advancing achievements in food safety and enhancing readiness to confront regional and international challenges. This comes in the wake of Iranian attacks against GCC states, which have resulted in casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruptions to critical sectors such as energy, water, and transport. These disruptions have posed significant challenges affecting food safety systems, particularly in terms of the flow of food supplies and the safety of storage and transport operations.
Dr. Hasan underscored the importance of food safety as a global health priority, essential for public health, quality of life, and sustainable development. She highlighted the necessity of adopting an integrated approach that includes risk assessment, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and developing evidence-based policies and legislation. These measures aim to ensure an effective and proactive response to enhance the safety of food markets, especially given the rapid pace of global trade, evolving supply chains, and growing innovation in the food sector.
The meeting's agenda included discussions on the GCC Unified Food Law and mechanisms for imposing and lifting bans on the import of food of animal origin and its products. These discussions are expected to contribute to greater legislative and regulatory integration among member states and strengthen the GCC common market and customs union.