On 24 December 2024, The Ministry of Agriculture held the first of its kind national conference on food safety under the theme "Working together to ensure food safety." Thirteen papers on food safety were presented by representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture; Health; Marine Resources, Land, Water and Environment; Higher Board of Education and Eritrea Standards Institution were presented.
Following is an interview with some representatives who presented papers at the conference.
Bietesaida Through its inspectors, the Regulatory Service Department of the Ministry of Agriculture ensures the quality and safety of food at slaughter houses, food processing plants, market places, food entry points and the like. The SRD also works to raise awareness of farmers and other stakeholders about the importance of food safety and assists food processors in implementing good manufacturing practices. All inspection works are guided by legal acts, checklists and manuals.
Dr. Zereabruk Tesfamariam, Assistant professor at Orotta College of Medicine and Health Sciences
The importance of the conference is in creating awareness in the general population and authorities about food safety. Since eating healthy food is the means to having healthy livelihood, food should be safe from microbiological, chemical and physical agents that contaminate it. The overall idea is that we should keep food safe starting from the farm place until it reaches the consumer. We should bear in mind that there are so many contaminants in farms: pesticides, artificial fertilizers and heavy metals in the soil and plants. Food should be free from chemicals and biological hazards during harvest and delivery as well as at the market. It should also be kept safe and prepared hygienically by food handlers both at public food service establishments and at households. People should be made aware of the types of food contaminants that exist and the ways to get rid of them to prevent foodborne diseases. It is important to highlight that food safety is the concern of every body and, therefore, should not be thought of as the responsibility of authorities only.
My study focused on heavy metals, which are very toxic and cause adverse health problems such as cancer, teratogenicity and several damages to the organs. One of the reasons for the study is that the surroundings of Asmara have heavy metals in abundance. So, understanding the status of such heavy metals was essential in creating awareness in the general public and relevant authorities. Making authorities, in particular, aware of the unwanted consequences of the accumulation of heavy metals enables them to take necessary measures to protect people from the hazards.
Mr. Alem Araia, head of certification at Eritrea Standards Institution (ESI)
Standard helps determine whether food is safe or not. Unless you have standards, you can't say this food is safe or unsafe. So having a standard of every product, be it agricultural or processed food, is necessary in identifying the status of food safety. The quality of the food is examined to see whether it is contaminated with microbiological contaminants. And unless you make rigorous test, you can't determine food safety. That is why an accurate and quick test result using up-todate laboratories is now required to ensure food safety.
Food safety cannot be ensured by working in isolation. That is why the conference brought together partners from different ministries. It is only if and when every institution plays its role that food safety can be ensured from the stage of production to processing and consumption. Quality assurance laboratories are also important in regulating food safety. All of these food safety assurance procedures make it important to have a multisectorial approach.
Working individually, one may be able to solve certain problems. But by coordinating our work together we can solve what we cannot solve individually. So, partnership is very important in food safety. That is why we say food safety is everybody's concern. The consumer should keep the safely produced food safe and pay attention to the labeling of packed food items and carefully follow the instructions.
Sure. We might have been late in conducting such a conference, but the fact that it has happened at this time is important. A lot of papers have been presented emphasizing on food safety as everybody's concern. Discussing food safety in the presence of multi-sectorial representatives will make a difference. The Ministry of Agriculture will play its role in the farm and in milk processing plants and the like. ESI, on its part, will play a role in preparing the standards and in giving certifications, and all the other laboratories such as the fisheries laboratories and the like can play their role. If we play our role, we will ensure food safety at its level best.
Dr. Mulugeta Russom, National Medicines and Food Administration of the Ministry of Health, in charge of the Pharmacovigilance Center
It is not only that we are encountering foodborne illnesses but the pathogens that are causing these illnesses are also becoming resistant to treatments. So the burdens we're facing are dual. If they are becoming resistant to antimicrobials, it means we don't have the weapons to prevent or treat these disease conditions.
My presentation was meant to address what the global burden looks like, what the key drivers for foodborne illnesses and antimicrobial resistance are, and the mitigation strategies we need in the country?
We need to have stringent regulations across all the sectors. We need to have a good multi-sectorial coordination mechanism that could govern the efforts of the different ministries and stakeholders in this mission. Access to antimicrobials should be limited. We should use antibiotics where they are required. The problem we are facing right now is that farmers, consumers and the community, as a whole, are using antimicrobials without prescription. We need to change such practices. We also need to have a good surveillance system that tracks the prevalence of these resistant pathogens and their susceptibility to antibiotics as well as the occurrence of foodborne illnesses. We also need to raise awareness. This way we can play a good role in minimizing the problem.
The problems we discussed at the conference are very similar. I personally observed the similarity. But different ministries, different stakeholders and different sectors have been doing their own part. There was no collaborative approach to handle the problems. This is the main problem we have observed and the solution is to work together on the issues of food safety. This is the first time we are having a conference at this level. In the upcoming year we should move this multi-sectorial coordination mechanism to the next level.
Farmers should use hygienic practices at all levels and they should refrain from using antimicrobial growth promotion without consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. This year's conference has brought us together, familiarizing us with one another. And there is no question that we have learned from the presentations and discussions at the conference. But I would like to see a different approach next year. We need to have good multi-sectorial collaboration, with taskforces and new research papers next year.
Mr. Neguse Kifle, from the Ministry of Marine Resources
Preservative chemicals and testing laboratories are 'must have' components in ensuring supply of healthy fisheries products to the public. Supply of healthy fish is crucial to the healthy livelihood of the general public. There should be a very good control system, equipped with advanced laboratories, to be able to identify the status of aquatic food and provide safe food. The fish quality laboratory we now have has been functional since 2001. It has been very helpful in analyzing microbiological, chemical and physical contaminants.
The content of the food and the risk it has is determined through analysis. Hence, regulatory bodies have been giving certification based on laboratory results that are related to the safety, quality and performance of processing plants. Microbiological laboratories have been playing an essential role in aquatic food safety control.
Eng. Lidya Teklehaimanot from the Ministry of Land, Water and Environment
There is a complex interplay between environment and food safety. Food safety cannot be assured without clean environment. Unless you treat the pollutant waste from food processing plants you can't create a safe environment. So, we need to invest in protecting our environment, and food safety will be assured in a clean environment. Protecting the environment is the best practice for food safety. By working in coordination for better results, we can achieve more. Synergy is very important, and collective input will bring a wholesome output.