Food Africa Exhibition in its Eighth Edition
For the eighth consecutive year, the Chamber of Food Industries was a strategic partner of the food and beverage international trade exhibition "Food Africa", which took place from December 12 to 14, 2023, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo. Dr. Ali Al-Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Eng. Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry, Major General Kamel El Wazir, Minister of Transport, and Eng. Ashraf El Gazayerli, President of the Chamber of Food Industries, along with the heads of the Agricultural Export Council and the Food Export Council, officially opened the exhibition.
The Second Annual Industry Exhibition and Meeting
The Chamber of Food Industries participated in the activities of the Second Annual Industry Forum and Exhibition, which is organized by the Federation of Egyptian Industries under the patronage and honor of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, from Saturday, October 28, to Monday, October 30, 2023, at the Egypt International Convention and Exhibition Center in the Fifth Settlement. Eng. Ashraf El Gazayerli, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, confirmed that the second industry forum and exhibition is considered a good step for marketing national industries, exchanging experiences, presenting prospects for the advancement and localization of the industry, and opening areas for cooperation with participating Arab and Foreign companies. The forum witnessed the participation of several Turkish companies operating in the food industries sector, along with a delegation from the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture in Misrata, the sister state of Libya, which includes 30,000 members in all commercial, industrial, service, and agricultural specializations. In order to support business development and find commercial partners to boost food exports and open export markets, the Chamber arranged a number of bilateral business meetings with Turkish companies, a delegation from the Libyan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, and member companies. Participating in the exhibition and second industry forum were members of the governments of several cooperative countries, businessmen, investment councils, representatives of the banking industry, and representatives of diplomatic delegations to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The scientific forum under the title “Food Quality and Safety between Research and Application”
The Chamber of Food Industries participated in the activities of the forum held at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology under the title “Food Quality and Safety between Research and Application,” under the patronage of Dr. Mahmoud Saqr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, and Dr. Hussein Darwish, Acting President of the National Research Center, and in the presence of Dr. Tarek Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, Dr. Hani Al-Sharqawi, on behalf of Dr. Khaled Sofi, Chairman of the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, and Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni, Executive Director of the Chamber of Food Industries. With the participation of a group of scientists, researchers, and experts in the fields of industry and food safety, the forum discussed a number of challenges related to food safety, proposed solutions between research and application, and highlighted the role of scientific research in using promising manufacturing techniques to produce safe, healthy food in accordance with food safety standards.
Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni also expressed the importance of linking scientific research to development and finding solutions to the challenges facing food producers and manufacturers. In order to prepare food establishments for accreditation and inclusion on the National Food Safety Authority's white list, he also reviewed the role played by the Chamber in supporting the food safety system. This included the Chamber's technical support of factories, as well as its training and qualification programs. Additionally, he discussed the significance of educating small and medium-sized enterprises on the need to comply with food safety regulations in order to produce safe and healthy food for both domestic and international markets. Additionally, he asserted that the Chamber of Food Industries, as the official representative of the food industry, and the National Food Safety Authority have established a cooperative model that serves as an example of positive and productive cooperation for the good of this important industry. The forum was chaired by Dr. Gamal Ahmed Wahab, President of the Egyptian Society for Food Safety, Dr. Habiba Hassan Ali, Chairman of the National Committee for Nutritional Sciences, and Dr. Manal Mohamed Ramadan, Rapporteur of the Forum, Member of the National Committee for Nutritional Sciences and Secretary-General of the Egyptian Society for Food Safety.
The 7th Egyptian International Date Palm Festival
The Egyptian International Date Palm Festival, in its seventh edition, which is organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, was opened in Siwa, Matrouh Governorate, in partnership with the Chamber of Food Industries, the strategic sponsor of the festival, in the period from 20 to 22 October 2023. This Festival is a distinguished promotional platform to support the palm cultivation sector and the production and industry of Egyptian dates and contribute to achieving the state’s vision towards deepening, developing, and growing the national industry. During the inspection tour of the booths, the Governor of Matrouh visited the Chamber’s booth and listened to an explanation of the awareness programs and technical support services provided by the Chamber of Food Industries to its member companies, especially to date producers and manufacturers, and its efforts in this regard, including issuing the first standard specification for the Medjool variety, which is distinguished by its high quality, in partnership and cooperation with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality.
A training program on “Methods and techniques for collecting food samples to estimate pesticide and microbial residues to match them with maximum limits”
The Chamber of Food Industries, in cooperation with the Central Laboratory for Pesticide Residues, organized a training program on “Methods and techniques for collecting food samples to estimate pesticide and microbial residues to match them with maximum limits” during the days of October 9 and 10, 2023. Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni, Executive Director of the Chamber, opened the workshop by welcoming the laboratory’s experts and the attendees. He pointed out that this training program comes within the framework of the activities of the protocol signed between the Laboratory and the Chamber to serve workers in the food industry sector. He also noted that more than thirty trainees from representatives of companies working in the field of food industries and fruit and vegetable production participated in this program, in the presence of Mrs. Riham Ghazi, Director of the Training and Business Development Department at the Chamber, and Dr. Taher Qadah, Director of the Marketing Department at the Laboratory. Dr. Hend Abdellah, Director of the Laboratory, also announced that this program is important in light of the impact of sampling methods on the analysis results, which often causes losses to the product or source, which requires training specialist workers in food industry production companies on the methods and methods of collecting food samples, which It helps that the analysis results are better representative of the shipments that will be exported. She also indicated that this program targeted specialists in quality control, quality assurance, laboratory specialists, and production specialists. Within the same framework, Dr. Taher Kadah stressed the importance of the partnership between the Laboratory and the Chamber through continuous training and awareness of the Chamber members. Additionally, he emphasized that the Laboratory offers all of its services—including technical consults, training, and pollutant analysis—to Chamber members in a way that is subsidized for the members of the Chamber. Over the course of two full days, laboratory researcher Dr. Mustafa Nabil covered the following topics in the training program. He started by giving a general overview of food contaminants and residues, as well as the acceptable limits. He then went on to discuss the laws and standard specifications governing sample collection, sampling methods to estimate the maximum limits of pesticide residues in accordance with the CODEX specifications and legislations of European Union countries, techniques for gathering samples to assess the microbiological concentration in food, and lastly a general overview of the procedure for gathering samples and forwarding them to analytical laboratories. By splitting up the trainees into groups, assigning a case study to each group, and running realistic simulations of specific topics, the training was delivered in accordance with the latest training methodologies with regards to the practical application of the training.
"Senior Officials of Regulatory Authorities Competent in Food Safety in Africa" Forum
The Chamber of Food Industries participated as an official sponsor in the “Senior Officials of Regulatory Authorities Competent in Food Safety in Africa” forum, organized by the National Food Safety Authority, within the framework of the strategic partnership between the Chamber and the National Food Safety Authority, in the period from 11 to 13 October, 2023. Eng. Ashraf El Gazayerli, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, participated in the third discussion session under the title “A Vision from the Industry Sector - The Egyptian Experience of Accessing African Markets, Challenges and Supporting Factors,” during which he confirmed that the National Food Safety Authority’s organization of the first forum of the African regulatory authorities for food safety in Egypt, with the participation of representatives of about 40 African countries and distinguished international participation in the presence of Jose Valbonel Corabia Sako, Minister Plenipotentiary for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment and Jose Emilio Esteban, Undersecretary of the US Department of Agriculture for Food Safety, serves as a nucleus for creating harmony and integration between regulatory bodies and the private sector for the benefit of consumers in African countries and national industries, as it contributes to raising the competitiveness of food products, increasing the volume of trade and investment, and advancing development on the African continent. Eng. Ashraf El Gazayerli also said that the Egyptian experience in the food safety area is present and has strongly succeeded in increasing exports and competitiveness of Egyptian food products thanks to the spirit of harmony and integration between the private sector and the concerned bodies, led by the National Food Safety Authority and the Egyptian Standards and Quality Authority. Participating in the session were Eng. Hany Berzy, Chairman of the Food Export Council, Eng. Abdel Hamid Al-Demerdash, Chairman of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops, Fernando Obrana, Food Safety and Quality Advisor to the World Food Programme, and Dr. Benoit Gonloneven - Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States. The session was moderated by Dr. Khaled Shedid, Deputy Director of the Project to Support Food Control and Inspection Systems-funded Food Control and Inspection Systems Support (TAIB) Project.
The CODEX celebrates its 60th anniversary globally and its 50th in Egypt
The Chamber of Food Industries and the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality organized a conference entitled “Codex Alimentarius... Consumer Protection and Trade Promotion” on Monday, September 25, 2023. This is to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the International Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) and the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Egyptian Codex Alimentarius Committee at the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality as the counterpart entity to the International Codex Alimentarius and the point of contact and link between the two entities. This was in the presence of Eng. Ashraf El Gazayerli, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, Dr. Eng. Khaled El-Soufi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality, Dr. Tarek Al-Houby, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, and Dr. Raj Rajasekar, Vice-President of the Codex Alimentarius International, Dr. Hakim Movembero, the regional coordinator for the countries of the African region (CODEX), Dr. Khaled Al-Zahrani, the regional coordinator for the countries of the Near East region (CODEX), and a group of ambassadors, bodies, members of the House of Representatives and Senate, and food companies, members of the chamber.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Festival
The Chamber of Food Industries participated in the second edition of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Festival, which took place from Thursday, September 21, 2023 until Friday, September 22, 2023. The festival’s activities are held in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). In the presence of many representatives of relevant authorities, the most important products of medicinal and aromatic plants were displayed along with the latest technologies in the field of their cultivation. The festival focused on highlighting this promising sector and strengthening ties between producers, manufacturers and exporters of medicinal and aromatic plants and service providers. Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni, Executive Director of the Chamber, participated in the second workshop within the activities of the second edition of the festival entitled: “A road map for the medicinal and aromatic plants sector based on the recommendations and measures taken from last year’s festival”, presenting the activities and procedures taken by the Chamber of Food Industries and its future vision to advance the medicinal and aromatic plants sector in light of the recommendations of the first festival 2022, stressing that Egypt is on the right path towards compatibility with the requirements of foreign markets and increasing exports, pointing to the efforts made by the National Food Safety Authority in partnership with the Chamber. The food industries approved a large number of farms and factories on the white list and issued a tracking decision for all workers in the food production sector, including producers and suppliers, starting with farms, factories and commercial chains.
The Executive Director of the Chamber said that the Chamber, through partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation, the US Department of Agriculture, and the National Food Safety Authority, has worked on many initiatives targeting small, medium and micro enterprises and providing the necessary technical support to ensure that factories comply with food safety and achieve the highest standards of quality and compliance with foreign market requirements in more than one axis. He also added that the Chamber is a strategic partner with the National Food Safety Authority, as it participated in setting standards and quality specifications and cooperated in setting and discussing binding requirements and rules for food safety, and pointed out that the Chamber is working to encourage the joining of small and medium-sized companies outside the official system to join the formal economy system by organizing field visits and workshops in cooperation with the Industrial Development Authority to determine the requirements of factories and raise awareness of the services, facilities and incentives that can be obtained, as 5 factories recently joined the Chamber’s membership to work within the official system. A light was shined on the importance of adapting to climate change and the compliance of exporting companies with requirements and variables, especially related to reducing carbon emissions, as they represent the greatest challenges that all productive sectors must join forces to develop a road map for an integrated system to increase exports, which includes a map of varieties, specifications, quality, food safety, tracking, analysis, and pesticide residues detection. Mr. Bassyouni emphasized the significance of returning to the agricultural map and creating new varieties to address challenges with climate and water, as well as combat insects and pests, and for the system to take into account the small farmer. He also highlighted the importance of using Egyptian cotton's experience in developing a brand for medicinal and aromatic plants and marketing them externally, particularly in the European and American markets. The session was attended by Eng. Tariq Abu Bakr, Chairman of the Festival Organizing Committee and Member of the Board of Directors of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops, Hani Hussein, Executive Director of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops, and Dr. Mumtaz Higab, Professor at the College of Science and Institutional Development and Governance Consultant. It was moderated by Mr. Mohamed Nabil, Director of the Agricultural Innovation Project GIZ, where Dr. Ahmed Al-Ansari, Governor of Fayoum, and Dr. Muhammad Al-Zamlot, Governor of New Valley, participated in honoring the Chamber of Food Industries, and the honor was received by Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni, Executive Director of the Chamber. This came at the end of the opening session with the participation of Engineer Ali Essa, President of the Egyptian Businessmen Association, Representative Abdel Hamid Al-Demerdash, Chairman of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops, and Engineer Tariq Abu Bakr, Chairman of the Festival’s Organizing Committee and Member of the Council. Management of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops, Major General Sherif Saleh, Chairman of the Upper Egypt Development Authority, Bilal Habash, Deputy Governor of Beni Suef, and Adel Abdel Azim, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
A training program entitled “(Initial requirements programs for the HACCP program)”
The Chamber of Food Industries presented a training program for member companies under the title (Initial Requirements Programs for the HACCP Program) on August 23 and 24, 2023 in Alexandria Governorate, in the presence of 15 of the Chamber’s member companies. This comes in light of the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Chamber and the Food Control and Inspection Systems Support Project (TAIB), funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The training program explained some important topics, including: “Introduction to food risks and their control, primary production, enterprise - design of facilities and equipment, training and efficiency, facility maintenance, cleaning, disinfecting, and pest control, personal hygiene, operation monitoring, product information and consumer awareness, transportation.” The program targeted: “factory manager - quality manager - quality engineers - production engineers - quality assurance officials - food safety officials.”
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Plan (HACCP)
On September 13 and 14, 2023, in the Alexandria Governorate, the Chamber of Food Industries delivered an advanced level training program on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Plan (HACCP) to its member companies in which 24 of the Chamber’s member companies attended. This comes in light of the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Chamber and the Food Control and Inspection Systems Support Project (TAIB), funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The training program explained some important topics, including: “Understanding the objectives of the HACCP program, differentiating between matters related to quality and those related to food safety, applying the five basic steps of HACCP, creating a plan for HACCP guided by its seven principles, identifying critical control points, operational conditional programs and control points, using research sites to determine acceptable levels of sources of danger. The program targeted those with experience in the field of applying food safety and HACCP systems.
Training program entitled: "Awareness of global food safety standards BRC Version 9"
In the presence of about 23 Chamber member companies, the Chamber of Food Industries conducted a training program for the fourth time under the title "Awareness of global food safety standard BRC Version 9)" in the Federation of Egyptian Industries Hall from Wednesday, August 29, to Thursday, August 31, 2023. The program's goals are to create new internal and external markets and increase understanding of the BRC standard's standards for safe food manufacturing. This is all part of the productive and positive collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded effort to develop rural Egypt's agricultural economy.
A meeting between the Chamber of Food Industries and the National Food Safety Authority on “Issues related to technical rules binding on food contact materials”
The National Food Safety Authority Decision No. 17 of 2022 was introduced the following month in light of the positive and productive collaboration between the Chamber of Food Industries and the National Food Safety Authority, as well as the approaching end of the deadline for aligning the requirements for the issuance of legally binding technical rules on food-related materials. On Sunday, 3 September 2023, the Chamber held an extensive meeting in the presence of Mr. Mahmoud Al-Bassyouni, Executive Director of the Chamber, senior officials of the National Food Safety Authority (for the branches of the Authority, for the control of factories, for imports, for laboratories, for touching materials), the Director of the Export Council for Printing and Packaging, representatives of the printing and packaging industry room, the plastic head of its people in the Chamber of Chemical Industries and a number of food establishments, members of the Chamber, producers of food-related materials and large companies involved in the production of packaging and the recycling of plastics. The most significant technical regulations established by the Board were presented during the meeting, along with a proposal for inspection clauses that would allow the Board to supervise the enforcement of the rules outlined in the aforementioned resolution. Questions were addressed and several suggestions regarding the things on the checklists that the Authority would monitor and consider were heard throughout the meeting.
A training program entitled “Trend Analysis”
On Wednesday, August 16, 2023, in Alexandria Governorate, 15 chamber member companies attended a training program entitled "Trend Analysis" that was offered by the Chamber of Food Industries for its members. This is due to the Chamber's positive and productive collaboration with the Food Control and Inspection Systems Support Project (TAIB), funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The training program explained some important topics, including: "The significance of trend analysis in monitoring negative or positive developments in processes relating to food product quality, safety, legality, and authenticity. being aware of the key requirements for trend analysis in the BRC, ninth edition. assessing the appropriateness of control measures and forecasting possible risks using trend analysis. generating various direction analysis models." Decision-makers in the Chamber’s members businesses like "the owner, chairman of the board of directors, factory manager, quality manager, quality engineers, production engineers, and those responsible for implementing the BRC in the company," were the program's target audience.
Field visits in Beni Suef Governorate
Within the framework of the Chamber’s strategy to support and aid the food industries sector and the technical support plan to raise the efficiency of food establishments and enhance their competitiveness at the level of the governorates of the Republic, especially those located in Upper Egypt, and within the framework of the keenness to integrate food manufacturers in the informal sector into the formal system to benefit from the services provided by the Chamber. In order to discuss the difficulties these facilities face and to start contacting and coordinating with the appropriate authorities in order to get them integrated into the official system and provide the necessary technical support, the Upper Egypt Committee, led by Professor Osama Sabra, conducted field visits to a number of essential oil extractors in the Beni Suef Governorate.
Training programme entitled "Identifying and analysing the root cause of lack of conformity (Root Cause analysis)"
The Chamber of Food Industries offered a training programme for member companies entitled "Identifying and analyzing the root cause of the lack of conformity." This was done in the light of the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Chamber and the "TAIB" food control and inspection systems project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The training programme described some important issues, including: "Identifying and analyzing the root cause of the lack of conformity, taking corrective action and preventive actions appropriate to each case of non-conformity, using root cause analysis as a tool for continuous improvement of the safety, legality and quality of the product and ensuring that the lack of conformity did not occur again; distinguishing between the root cause of the "poor - unacceptable" and the acceptable root cause in accordance with the requirements of the global food safety standard BRC Issue 9. "The program targeted decision makers in the facility, such as "the owner, chairman of the board of directors, manager of the factory, quality manager, quality engineers, production engineers".
The second annual conference of the Chamber of Food Industries
(Under the title “Sustainability and Increasing Investment in Food Processing”)
The Chamber of Food Industries organized the second annual conference "Egypt’s Food" entitled "Sustainable and Increased Investment in Food Manufacturing," on Monday, 12 June 2023, in the presence of Dr. Ali Al-Maselhy, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Mr. Ahmed Al-Wakeel, President of the Union of Mediterranean Chambers, Dr. Tarek Al-Hobi, President of the National Food Safety Authority, Dr. Hussein Mansour, former President of the National Food Safety Authority, and a group of ambassadors, bodies, members of the House of Representatives and Senate, and heads of food companies.
First “Round Table “event
On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, the Chamber of Food Industries, headed by Eng. Ashraf Al-Gazairli, organized the first “round table” event, in the presence of Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, representatives of the chamber’s member companies who participated in “the exhibition and the first forum for the industry”, Board members of the Chamber, heads of divisions, a number of the Authority’s leaders and representatives “TAIB” project in addition to the executive body of the Chamber. Where Eng. Ashraf El-Gazairly, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, thanked the member companies supporting the exhibition and the first industry forum, which was held under the auspices and honor of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, for the honorable appearance of the Federation of Industries and the Chamber of Food Industries. Eng. Al-Jazairli stressed the keenness of the Board of Directors to continue the approach of effective communication between the Chamber and its strategic partners, agencies, bodies, and decision-makers for the benefit of the national industry and enhancing its competitiveness at the local and international levels, pointing to the achievement of many positive results through presenting challenges, cooperation, and direct coordination and exchanging views between the Chamber represented of the food industry sector and various entities with the aim of providing support and removing obstacles and challenges to achieve the desired growth rates. The Chairman of the Chamber said: “We are honored in the Chamber’s Board of Directors to continue the march and build on the achievements of the previous presidents and boards of directors, and we are fully confident in what we are currently witnessing of great achievement and development of the national industry, and that the vision of the Food Safety Authority is in line with the current approach of the Chamber of Food Industries in Providing the necessary technical support to help factories comply with food safety requirements, and He referred to the efforts exerted by the Authority since the beginning of its establishment, which positively affected the compatibility of facilities with food safety requirements, and then the provision of a safe healthy product and the growth of Egyptian food exports, especially to the Saudi market, stressing the Chamber’s continuation in supporting many files at the level of the stages of the supply chain “sorting and packaging stations and centers Gatherings, massacres...etc. or his part, Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, confirmed that cooperation with the Chamber of Food Industries represents the most important strategic axes in the authority's vision, and stated that the authority's strategy aims to expand the base of food establishments registered with it and attract small and medium entities to the official system for food safety and human development.
And the existence of an organizational structure in addition to the digital transformation, as the authority started to launch its first website on March 1, in preparation for providing all services electronically, including applying to registration in the authority and completing all procedures digitally. Dr. Tarek added that we hope to reach the authority to become an entity that enjoys governance, transparency, and integrity, to send a message of confidence to the Egyptian consumer and the foreign importer. At the end of the meeting, a number of representatives of the companies that are members of the chamber asked questions about the food safety file to be studied and discussed by the authority and to take the necessary actions in this regard. Engineer Ashraf Al-Gazairli confirmed that the chamber is preparing to hold “round table” activities periodically to achieve the benefit and participation of the largest number of Opinions and research topics of interest to the food industry community in Egypt.
Training program on fish processing (processing technology - food safety)
The Chamber of Food Industries organized the first session of the training program under the title (Fish Processing - Processing Technology - Food Safety) from Tuesday, February 21 to Thursday, February 23, 2023, in Alexandria Governorate, in cooperation with the National Bank of Egypt, within the framework of the Fish Division's work plan, in the presence of Dr. Hani Al-Minshawi, head of the Fish Division, and Dr. Mohamed Najm, a research doctor at the Food Technology Research Institute at the Agricultural Research Center. Where Dr. Hani El-Minshawy, Head of the Fish Division, presented during the event the latest methods of fish processing technology, such as salting, smoking, pickling, cooking and anchoring. Dr. Mohamed Negm presented the most important programs and basic requirements for food safety in fish processing facilities. The Chamber will organize other courses of the training program in the governorates of Port Said and Cairo.
Meeting with one of the largest Malaysian palm oil manufacturing companies
The Chamber of Food Industries, headed by Engineer Ashraf El-Gazairly, in cooperation with the Federation of Egyptian Industries, received a delegation from one of the largest Malaysian companies in the field of palm oil manufacturing, in the presence of Mr. Mahmoud El-Basiouni, Executive Director of the Chamber, in order to discuss investment opportunities and elements in Egypt in the field of palm oil production, and how to benefit from the experience Malaysian in this field to meet the needs of the local market and export to foreign markets and to identify opportunities and elements of investment in the Egyptian market and to discuss the possibilities of the company establishing a project in Egypt in the field of palm oil production.
This is due to the existence of a real opportunity in the Egyptian market in the field of palm oil production to meet the needs of the local market and export to foreign markets, especially the markets of the African continent, and the possibility of the company benefiting from the trade agreements signed by Egypt, especially the advantages offered by the “African Continental Free Trade Agreement for Egyptian exports” to the markets of the African continent and in Foremost among them is the exemption from customs duties. For its part, the delegation of the Malaysian company explained that the company is one of the largest Malaysian companies in the production and refining of palm oil inside and outside Malaysia, pointing out that the company owns factories and refineries in many countries of the world in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The company also owns a group of companies that include various investment activities in different sectors. Various services, including logistics, cars, and health services.
The first session of the training program "TOT Training of Trainers on Food Safety Applications"
The Chamber of Food Industries organized the first session of the training program "TOT Training of Trainers" on Food Safety Applications in cooperation with the "Project to Promote Agricultural Business in the Egyptian Rural" (ERAS) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), from Tuesday, February 14 until Thursday. February 16, 2023. The program aims to develop the skills of officials in food establishments, raise their efficiency and ability to train, and transfer the contents of training programs in food safety to workers, in order to enhance their ability to comply with food safety requirements. The program dealt with many topics, including: (Conditions for successful communication, types of goals, goal formulation problems, the definition of a training plan, ... and many other topics) With the participation of (quality and food safety managers - food quality and safety engineers - factory managers - production engineers - training officials in the field of food safety). member companies.The Chamber's participation in a workshop on strengthening the system of control and inspection of filling stations.
the Chamber of Food Industries, headed by Eng. Ashraf Al-Gazairli participated in the activities of the opening session of a workshop on "Strengthening the supervision and inspection system" for packing stations, which was organized by the US Department of Agriculture through the project to support food control and inspection systems “Tayb”, in cooperation with the Chamber of Food Industries And the Agriculture Export Council, in the presence of Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Authority for Food Safety, Engineer Abdel Hamid Al-Demerdash, Chairman of the Agriculture Export Council, Eng. Medhat Al-Meligy, Head of the Agricultural Component at Haya Association for the Development of Horticultural Crops, the Agricultural Attaché of the United States of America in Egypt, and a lot of experts sector. Eng. Ashraf El-Gazairli, Chairman of the Chamber, opened his speech by praising the efforts and achievements of the Chamber with its strategic partners in supporting the food industries sector, which represents great importance in the national economy and achieving social and comprehensive development in Egypt. He stressed the importance of enhancing the practice of food safety in Egypt and facilitating the trade of food products to support the sustainability of the growth of the food industry sector, given that the sector represents paramount importance in the national economy.
His Excellency also praised the authority's direction towards the use of international expertise in the field of food safety and work to enhance the efficiency of the technical staff in the authority and update the checklists, especially updating the checklist for sorting and packing stations for fresh products, because of this positive impact, raising the competitiveness of the sector and increasing its exports. At the end of his speech, Eng. Ashraf El-Gazairly extended his thanks and appreciation to all those in charge of the “Tayeb” project, and for the fruitful cooperation with the Chamber and its technical staff, as well as the two projects to promote agricultural business in the Egyptian countryside funded by the US Agency for International Development (ERAS) and (Farmer to Farmer) To support and assist food establishments are members of the Chamber, to raise the efficiency of workers in the sector, and to comply with the requirements of food safety to produce peaceful and safe products for the Egyptian consumer, and to have access to regional and international markets.
The initiative of the Chamber of Food Industries in cooperation with the Chamber of Chemical Industries to benefit from food factory waste.
The Chamber of Food Industries was held in cooperation with the Chamber of Chemical Industries, and the Waste Management Division of the Chamber of Chemical Industries, headed by Dr. Ehab EL- Saka. The first of a series of initiative meetings aimed at benefiting from agricultural and food manufacturing waste, coordination and activation of communication between each of the food establishment factories and waste management companies, to raise the establishments’ awareness of ways to make the best use of agricultural and industrial waste, in the presence of a number of members of the two chambers and representatives of the Industrial Development Authority and the Waste Management Regulatory Authority And the comprehensive green growth project - UNIDO. Mr. Mahmoud Al-Basiouni, Executive Director of the Chamber of Food Industries, explained that the meetings that the Chamber is organizing come within the framework of the Chamber’s strategy to support the sector, localize the goals of sustainable development, and achieve Egypt’s Vision 2030 by raising the awareness of food establishments of the importance of compatibility with the requirements of the green economy and best practices for waste disposal and identifying Investment opportunities available in the areas of clean energy and fodder production, and the positive effects resulting from creating a real demand for factory waste and achieving an economic and environmental return from it. He pointed to the need to establish a mechanism for cooperation between food and agricultural processing companies, waste recycling companies and relevant authorities, and to present successful experiences to benefit from them and repeat their application at the level of the various governorates.
Dr. Ehab El-Sakka, Head of the Waste Management Division, said that during the meeting, the challenges of a number of food establishments operating in the beverage sector, agricultural manufacturing, and pasteurized eggs were heard, and a number of proposals were submitted by organic waste recycling companies, the National Research Center, the Comprehensive Green Growth Project, and consultants from the Environment Agency. And the Waste Management Regulatory Authority and work are underway to coordinate with the Chamber of Food Industries to expand the base of beneficiaries. Mr. Mahmoud Al-Basiouni pointed out the importance of the meeting in clarifying the role of research centers and presenting research and experiences that provide technical and technological solutions that can be used because of their positive impact on the economics of the industrial society, as well as creating communication channels through which industrial establishments can obtain advisory services to maximize the use of agricultural waste. and industrial.
High-level economic forum
n Monday, February 6, 2023, the Chamber of Food Industries participated in the activities of the Economic Forum, which was organized by the International Francophone Organization (OIF), in the presence of Mr. Mohamed Saleh Bashanfar, a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, to present the available investment opportunities in Egypt and hold extensive discussions between representatives of foreign companies that are members of the organization and their Egyptian counterparts in the fields of food industries. And renewable energy and information systems, as part of the trade and economic mission activities, visited Egypt from 5-7 February 2023. In his speech delivered during the session devoted to food industries in the forum, Mr. Mohamed Saleh Bashanfar discussed the role played by the chamber in serving the members and increasing the competitiveness of Egyptian food products at the local and international levels, and the training programs and workshops it offers to develop and support factories operating in the sector and raise awareness of the requirements Food safety, in cooperation with the National Authority for Food Safety. He also referred to food industry exports, praising the boom achieved by exports during the previous period, due to its positive impact on the national economy. His Excellency stressed the importance of exploiting the comparative advantages available in each country of the organization to achieve economic integration, develop industry and value chains, and increase trade exchange and direct investments among the member states of the organization.
His Excellency stressed the importance of exploiting the comparative advantages available in each country of the organization to achieve economic integration, develop industry and value chains, and increase trade exchange and direct investments among the member states of the organization. At the end of his speech, His Excellency praised the holding of the forum in Cairo, hoping that the coming period will witness more cooperation and mutual economic and trade missions between Egypt and the member states of the International Francophone Organization. The session dedicated to the food industry was attended by Mr. Dr. Tariq Al-Houbi, Chairman of the National Food Safety Authority, Mr. Periklis DAVANELOS, Senior Advisor for Commercial and Economic Affairs at the Greek Embassy in Cairo, and Ms. Honorine Takala KENGNE, President of the Victoria Herschel Group from Cameroon. The session was moderated by Dr. Rasha Ramadan, an economics teacher at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, at Cairo University.
The training program under the title (Awareness of FSSC 22000) From 19 to 21 February 2023 and From 5 to 7 February 2023
The Chamber of Food Industries organized the training program for member companies under the title (Awareness of FSSC 22000) during the month of February 2023. This comes considering the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Chamber and the project to promote agricultural business in the Egyptian countryside (ERAS), which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and in cooperation with the National Bank of Egypt. The program dealt with an explanation of some important topics, including: An introduction to the FSMS management system, the main components of FSSC 22000, an introduction to the basic concepts and terminology associated with the requirements of ISO 22000 and TS 22002-X,
the basic philosophy and principles of ISO 22000, a detailed review of the requirements of the ISO 22000 standard, an introduction to the benefits that will be achieved by the implementation, effective methods of implementation ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 Additional Requirements Overview" The program targeted decision-makers in the establishments that are members of the Chamber, such as (owner - chairman of the board of directors - factory manager - quality manager - quality engineers - production engineers).