Jordan to host final phase of SAFE program for training Arab experts on food risk assessment in Oct.

15 / 07 / 2019

• Sustainable Development

Jordan will host in October the final phase of training Arab experts within the framework of the competency enhancement program in food risk assessment of the Arab Food Safety Initiative for Trade Facilitation (SAFE).

SAFE online training of Arab experts will be held in the upcoming three months.

Twelve experts from 10 Arab countries have completed the second part of the tailored competency enhancement program in food risk assessment designed and implemented by SAFE.

This phase of the training was developed and carried out in collaboration with the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).

ANSES hosted the training at its Headquarters in Maison-Alfort, France from June 17-21, 2019 and devoted more than 10 scientists and experts to design and deliver a dedicated training program, in collaboration with Laval University (Quebec, QC. Canada) Professors and SAFE experts.

The training was designed in the form of presentations of key concepts in exposure assessment, microbiological and chemical risk assessment with an emphasis on approaches to develop data sources in support of risk assessment, such as the set-up and implementation of Total Diet Studies, as well as the reliance on tools commonly used by risk assessors, such as software used in exposure assessment.

The Arab food risk assessors’ network, which includes the first cohort of SAFE trainees has completed the second milestone of the competency enhancement program, specifically designed to address the needs of the Arab region, through SAFE with the intent to lead, at minimum, to a community of practice of food safety risk assessors, that can be called upon to support science and risk-based regulatory decisions, both for incident management and standard setting in the Arab region. Such efforts will enable a stronger coherence in food decisions amongst Arab countries and in alignment with international best practices as well as the SPS agreement of the World Trade Organization.

Two other phases are envisaged for the completion of this unique competency enhancement program, through an On-line training period for the upcoming three months, followed by a last phase of face-to-face risk assessment workshops, to be held in Amman, Jordan, in October, 2019.

SAFE is a food safety capacity building funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO), the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD).