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As you might be aware, food safety has been on the public health agenda of the Ministers of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for a few years now

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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Address by

DR HUSSEIN A. GEZAIRY REGIONAL DIRECTOR

WHO EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION to the

FAO/IAEA/WHO REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR MYCOTOXIN ANALYSIS OF FOOD AND FEED

Agricultural Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt, 1–6 December 2001

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the World Health Organization, I have pleasure in welcoming you to this Regional Training Workshop on Quality Assurance for Mycotoxin Analysis of Food and Feed for Near East and African Countries, here in the Agricultural Research Centre, in Cairo, Egypt.

The workshop has been organized jointly by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the World Health Organization. I would especially like to thank our local host, the Agricultural Research Centre, for their kind support in hosting and supporting us in their centre during the coming 6 days.

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2 Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,

Mycotoxin contamination of foods, and also of feeds, has severe implications for public health and has long been on the agenda of WHO’s food safety programme. Through our collaboration with FAO and IAEA we now have the chance to train public health officials in this important area of food analysis. The objectives of this training workshop are to provide participants with general quality assurance principles, give theoretical and practical training, and to help mycotoxin control laboratories to comply with the requirements in international trade by establishing a quality system which will allow them to obtain reliable analytical results necessary for accreditation. I believe these objectives will contribute to improvement in public health, in addition to strengthening the trade possibilities for countries of our Region.

As you might be aware, food safety has been on the public health agenda of the Ministers of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region for a few years now. In 1999 the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean Region adopted a regional plan of action for addressing food safety in the 21st century. In this plan, Member States were urged to assess their food safety infrastructure and prepare a country profile for food safety; to establish or strengthen the national food safety committee or similar body, and make it operational to implement the national food safety programme; to develop legislation and keep it up to date in accordance with the latest scientific developments; to promote preventive food safety management systems; to ensure effective education in food safety matters; and to carry out research and data collection, including food-borne disease surveillance and the exchange of information on food that does not comply with health standards.

In the very recently finalized ‘New WHO Food Safety Strategy – Safer Food for Better Health’, various issues are mentioned that are of relevance to you in your daily work. As you are aware, chemical hazards remain a significant source of food-borne illness. Chemical contaminants in food include natural toxicants, such as mycotoxins and marine toxins;

environmental contaminants, such as mercury, lead, dioxins; and naturally occurring chemicals in plants, such as cyanogenic compounds in cassava. In order to increase or improve the food supply, food additives, micronutrients (such as vitamins and essential minerals), pesticides and veterinary drugs are deliberately used, assuring the safety of their usage. The challenges for

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assuring the safety of chemicals include consideration of susceptible populations (such as children, pregnant women and the elderly), cumulative low-level exposure to multiple chemicals and effects on fetal neural development. More comprehensive data on the food intake of sub- populations and on the concentrations of contaminants in food commodities and the total diet are needed in most countries, in particular in developing countries. Improved risk assessments at national level with minimized uncertainty will provide a better, more acceptable basis for international and national standard-setting and reduce consumers’ concern about the safety of food.

It is becoming clear that food-borne diseases have a significant impact on health. The globalization of the food trade and the development of international food standards have also raised awareness of food safety in developing countries. Placing it on the political agenda is the first vital step in reducing food-borne illness. Many developing countries are poorly equipped to respond to existing and emerging food safety problems. They lack technical and financial resources, an effective institutional framework, trained personnel and sufficient information about the hazards and risks involved. The risks are especially great in countries where low national income coincides with rapid industrial and agricultural development. By supporting Member States in taking health considerations into account in the globalization of the food trade, WHO hopes to promote the objective of safer food for better health.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,

You have the unique opportunity of being in a workshop with participants that have been sponsored by FAO, IAEA and WHO, and thus are working in various ministries and government institutions in your respective countries. The possibilities for networking, regionally and within your own countries will hopefully be fully utilized. I believe this will lead to the accreditation of a considerable number of laboratories in our Region in the near future. I hope that your sessions and deliberations will lead to an improved level of quality assurance in your own institutions. I look forward to being briefed on the results.

I wish you all success in your laudable endeavour.

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