Jordan, Egypt food safety authorities discuss enhancing cooperation

AMMAN — Director General of the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) Nizar Mheidat and Chairman of Egypt’s National Food Safety Authority Tariq Houbi on Saturday discussed means to enhance cooperation.

Mheidat, during the meeting held as part of the recommendations of the Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Committee meeting, which recently convened in Cairo, stressed JFDA’s readiness to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He also expressed the administration’s readiness to set joint programmes and work mechanisms and exchange technical expertise.

Houbi highlighted the importance of establishing a mechanism to exchange food monitoring results in the two countries, assess potential risks, and a mechanism for control and tracking.

The meeting focused on adopting certificates of origin for foodstuff and freedom of sale certificates containing food ingredients issued by specialised authorities electronically and exchanging certificates of conformity for food commodities between the two nations.

Muna Abboud, head of the commercial representation office at the Egyptian embassy in Amman, said that the two countries enjoy “deep-rooted” relations that contributed to enhancing commercial exchange, referring to “successful” joint investments in various fields.