In collaboration with the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection and the Ministry of Health The National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy and "Candia" are sponsoring the events of World Food Safety Day.
In collaboration with the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection and the Ministry of Health The National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy and "Candia" are sponsoring the events of World Food Safety Day.

 

 

 

The National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy, and Al-Tayf Dairy and Food Products Company “Candia”, sponsored the events of World Food Safety Day. This included organizing a workshop by the Palestinian Consumer Protection Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, under the title "Food Safety and Consumer Food Specifications." The workshop was attended by Mr. Nader Barhoush, Director of Environmental Health at the Ministry of Health, Mr. Salah Haniya, President of the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection and Mr. Imad Al-Hindi, General Manager of the National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy, and Al-Tayf “Candia”. The workshop included a discussion sessions on the role of scientific research and universities in enhancing food safety, with the participation of professors from universities such as Birzeit, An-Najah, Al-Khalil, and Al-Quds.

The workshop covered various topics related to food safety, including specifications and standards, Pal gap, safe products, laws and legislative committees, the role of the industrial sector in safe food, and the role of universities in strengthening the scientific research base to enhance laws and legislative committees.

Mr. Nader Barhoush, Director of Environmental Health at the Ministry of Health, stated that the Palestinian Ministry of Health is concerned with public health and one of its main responsibilities is to safeguard the health of Palestinian citizens. He emphasized the importance of food safety in achieving this goal and explained that the Ministry of Health ensures the safety of Palestinian products by monitoring their manufacturing process until they reach the Palestinian consumer. He further stated that the Ministry of Health conducts annual inspections of 12,000 to 15,000 samples and highlighted the necessity of partnership between regulatory authorities, Palestinian consumers, and producers to ensure the implementation of required specifications and the provision of safe and healthy products to Palestinian consumers.

Mr. Imad Al-Hindi, General Manager of the National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy, and Al-Tayf “Candia’, expressed the companies' commitment to food safety and their continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection in promoting awareness and highlighting its importance. He emphasized that food safety is a fundamental right for everyone, and the companies strive to provide safe and healthy products, promote food safety culture, and encourage healthy eating habits through adherence to the highest quality and food safety standards in their manufacturing processes. He also mentioned the international and regional certifications the companies have obtained, such as the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000:2013, ISO 9001:2015, and Palestinian Standards and Specifications from the Palestinian Standards Institution.

Mr. Salah Haniya, President of the Palestinian Society for Consumer Protection, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy, and Al-Tayf “Candia” in supporting and sponsoring the World Food Safety Day events. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between government and private sector in enhancing consumer protection and awareness regarding food safety, as it plays a crucial role in achieving sustainability in the food sector. He stated that the Consumer Protection Association is dedicated to promoting food safety and security and providing accurate and comprehensive information to consumers about the risks of unsafe food and necessary preventive measures through educational programs and awareness campaigns.

The participants in the workshop recommended focusing on the national seeds bank, raising consumer awareness about food safety standards, including information on product labels, country of origin, and nutritional value. They also emphasized the importance of providing Palestinian standards to universities for scientific research and teaching purposes free of charge and ensuring transparency in food safety data and making it accessible to everyone.

Several experts have presented papers, including Dr. Samer Madloul, Dr. Mohammad Sabah, Dr. Ziad Ayad, Dr. Bilal Amous, Issa Al-Baitoni, Haider Hajj, Bassem Abu Ghalyoun, and Suhair Arar.