Cairo, Egypt - Given the high reliance of food security in Egypt on food imports the effective and efficient control of food imports is essential to protect consumer and population health. Efficient imported food control is also essential to facilitate trade in food products into Egypt and to ensure consumers have ready and sustained access to safe and nutritious food.

This was confirmed by the organizers of a workshop and program to develop a risk-based imported food control system for Egypt, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), in Cairo, and will conclude its activities tomorrow (Thursday).

In the framework of the FAO/Egypt MDF project entitled “Enhancement of Egypt’s Food Trade Capacities Through Harmonized and Improved National Imports Control System”, FAO’s supporting the Egyptian Government and related competent authorities to strengthen Egypt’s food control system and support the recently established National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) and related competent authorities modernise food import control in line with international best practices including guidelines developed by Codex, FAO and WHO.

The workshop will provide background, training and support for NFSA to develop risk-based food import framework for Egypt according to principles and guidance in the FAO Risk-Based Imported Food Control Manual (2016).

The focus and expected outcomes from the workshop include developing competency and resources to: 

• Enhance knowledge and application of principles and practices for risk-based imported food control based on the FAO Manual
• Analyse current food import profile in Egypt: including what, who, how and from where foods are imported
• Build a risk-categorisation framework for imported food control – including defining risk-based management actions including for pre-border, border and post-border operations
• Define resource requirements to implement the framework: including import databases, analytical service needs, and coordination with other border agencies
• Develop an import risk management work-flow and SOP outline using the risk framework
• Understand the need to develop risk communication and Good Importing Practice advice for food importers 

“Food safety and food control are thus long-standing areas of work for FAO that has developed guidelines and manuals to strengthen national food control systems as well as approaches to support continuous improvement at the national level” said Nasredin HagElamin, FAO Rep., to Egypt.

“Like foods produced within a country, foods that are imported need to be safe and of adequate quality to ensure consumers can safely consume them” he added. 

“Since NFSA has started its works in 2017, many measures and steps have been taken to achieve food safety requirements in order to ensure the health and safety of human beings. This workshop is part of the project entitled “Enhancement of Egypt’s Food Trade Capacities through Harmonized and Improved National Imports Control System”, and it’s an opportunity to review the structure and processes of control of imported food to Egypt in order to move to more efficient and effective control and avoid risks" Mr. Hussein Mansour, NFSA President said.

FAO and WHO have worked jointly to offer Member Countries tools and guidance to design and operate effective food control systems. The FAO Risk-Based Imported Food Control Manual (2016), shows that effective imported food control systems require: 

• Clear food control legislation based on risk;
• Good linkages with the domestic food control system – including importers, food businesses and consumers;
• Competent authorities having appropriate resources for food import inspection and enforcement;
• Strong coordination between competent authorities responsible for food safety and border control; and
• Food importers knowing and using good importing practices in line with regulations.