Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) Tarek el Houby
"Egyptian Chocolate Soon to Hit European Markets"
The regulatory systems for food safety in Egypt have been well-received by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.
The Authority’s Efforts Led to the Start of Actual Exports of Marine Fish to EU Countries.
Reducing the Inspection Rates of Egyptian Citrus Fruits in European Markets to 20%.
Allowing the Export of Herring Fish and Pasteurized Eggs to the Saudi Market.
Lifting the Ban on Egyptian Animal-Origin Products in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) Dr .Tarek El Houby, revealed that the General Administration for Factory Inspection of the Egyptian Food Safety Authority organized a series of field visits for a technical delegation from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. The delegation visited 30 Egyptian food facilities, and there is still a list of establishments seeking export approval, awaiting scheduled visits in the near future. This initiative is part of the process of evaluating Egypt’s regulatory system and certifying Egyptian companies with the Saudi Authority to facilitate the entry of Egyptian food exports into the Saudi market.
In a press interview with “Commodity Market,” el Houby stated that after the return of the Saudi technical teams, their reports will be sent gradually. He emphasized that they had praised the food safety regulatory systems in place at the Egyptian factories they visited, which reflects the commitment of Egyptian companies to international quality and regulatory standards.
He continued, “The reports sent so far by the Saudi Authority contained a few minor remarks, which have already been addressed, and the corrective measures have been resent to the Saudi side for review in preparation for inclusion in the official list of approved exporters.”
El Houby also mentioned the Authority’s significant efforts to reach this alignment with the relevant Saudi authorities, including participation in the Egyptian-Saudi Joint Committee meeting in Riyadh, from March 3-4, 2024. During this meeting, they followed up and activated virtual inspections of Egyptian food facilities wishing to export to Saudi Arabia. This facilitated the export process, ensuring effective standards and criteria to boost the national economy through increasing Egyptian exports to the Kingdom. Recently, Egyptian food facilities were granted approval to export European-origin herring fish (from the Netherlands and Norway) and pasteurized eggs to Saudi Arabia.
Regarding the export of dairy and fish products to the European Union, El Houby pointed out that the official announcement of the reopening of marine fish exports was made on November 29, 2024, by the European Commission after a suspension of more than three years. He explained that the Authority had registered the companies approved by the EU on the European online platform (ETRACE) and initiated the necessary steps for these companies to begin actual exports. The technical procedures for exporting processed products containing dairy from European-origin sources, particularly chocolate, are also in progress. Afterward, these products will be allowed to enter EU markets.
He mentioned that the Authority, through the Packing Stations and Centers Department, had coordinated a series of field visits by the European Commission delegation in November. The visits aimed to evaluate Egypt’s regulatory system for controlling microbiological contaminants on medicinal plants, in coordination with relevant authorities such as the Central Administration for Agricultural Quarantine (CAPQ), the Central Laboratory for Pesticide Residue and Heavy Metals in Food (QCAP), and the Central Pesticide Laboratory (CAPL), along with the Export Council for Agricultural Products and the Export Council for Food Industries. He added that the preliminary report results were highly positive, and the delegation commended the effectiveness of Egypt’s regulatory system for crop and product monitoring.
Moreover, the Food Safety Authority successfully reduced the inspection rate of Egyptian citrus fruits (oranges) in EU markets from 30% to 20%. This reduction is a result of the efficient regulatory system applied to Egyptian exports, stricter monitoring of citrus shipments, and the introduction of a risk-based sampling mechanism. This decision was made after a 50% reduction in rapid alert notifications concerning banned pesticides compared to the previous year.
El Houby also noted that exports of intestines to the United States had been opened, and negotiations had begun with the commercial representation and the agreements and councils sector to open new markets for other Egyptian products. An integrated and comprehensive mechanism is being updated to monitor intestines exports, track interventions from other regulatory authorities regarding confiscation and sample collection from incoming shipments, and manage re-export shipments and transit messages. Additionally, a specialized team has been formed to monitor intestines exports and establish a strict regulatory system for inspecting exported shipments. Committees have been set up to oversee exported shipments to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
Furthermore, in evaluating the regulatory system and lifting the ban on Egyptian animal-origin products to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, six factories were visited from November 2 to 6, 2024, by a technical delegation from the Livestock Directorate of the Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi delegation praised the quality of the factories and the food safety regulatory systems in place at these facilities. They indicated that there are significant opportunities to lift the ban on Egyptian animal-origin products and allow their entry into the Kurdistan region’s markets.
