Eritrea: World Food Safety Day observed

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World Food Safety Day, 7 June, was observed at the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers Hall under the theme “Food Standards Save Lives”.

Representing the World Health Organization, Mr. Francis Magomba said that World Food Safety Day is reminder to raise awareness and mobilize action to prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks and improve human health.

Mr. Francis went on to say that globally every year, about 600 million people get sick and 420 thousand die due to the different types of food-borne illnesses and that young people and populations with limited resources are the most affected.

Noting that addressing health conditions arising from unsafe food will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, Mr. Francis commended the initiative the Ministries of Agriculture and Health in cooperation with stakeholders are undertaking to address issues related to food safety.

Ms. Esther Lusepani, FAO Representative in Eritrea, on her part said that what makes more the World Food Safety Day eventful is that it is being commemorated for the first time in Eritrea drawing attention to food standards.

Representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Tekleab Misghina, Director General of Regulatory Services at the Ministry, said that the achievement of national food and nutrition security is high on the agenda of the Eritrean Government, right since Independence and to that context the Government has invested heavily on soil and water conservation activities, which is the most critical factor for achieving food security.

Mr. Tekleab also explained in detail the initiative the Ministry of Agriculture is exerting in cooperation with partners on the minimum integrated household agricultural package.

Mr. Tekleab expressed his expectation that the revitalized National Codex Committee, working under the Codex Trust Fund Project will play its role in this respect.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.