RIYADH, 6 March 2005 — Saudi Arabia has announced plans to accredit more than 74 private laboratories in order to improve efficiency in testing, analysis and quality control of a range of locally produced and imported products.
The Ministry of Commerce’s plan will help local companies to cut production cost, raise profitability and avoid food safety problems because of intensive laboratory analysis and examination, while ensuring better public health.
This was disclosed by Dr. Hamad A. Al-Awfy, director general of laboratories and quality control at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry here yesterday. Al-Awfy said that “the laboratories have already been granted temporary licenses by the ministry to enable them to organize themselves to begin full-fledged operation”. He said that “Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) has been entrusted with the task to accredit private laboratories before permanent operational licenses are given by the ministry”.
The move to impose restrictions by arming private laboratories with more powers and functions will also minimize food safety problems and food scams. The private laboratories, however, will also be open for analysis and examination of a range of non-food products depending upon their equipment and technical capability. Al-Awfy unveiled these plans while addressing a symposium on “New methods of food, dairy, meat and feed analysis” organized by a local company Restech (Al-Bahatha) for Medical & Scientific Equipment.
The symposium was attended by Danish Minister Counselor Steen Steensen; Restech’s Executive Manager Hazem Olayan; Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed, quality manager of the National Agricultural Development Company and Dr. Dilshad Ahmed of King Saud University (KSU). In the symposium, a detailed presentation was made by Danish expert Mats Nilsmo about new Foss technology, marketed by the Riyadh-based Restech, which will be of great help to local companies. This new technology will improve profitability, productivity, consistency and quality of dairy and meat products.
Referring to the role of the Ministry of Commerce, Awfy pointed out that “every year, we have been buying new technology and equipment for laboratory solutions to ensure strict laboratory analysis”. He said that “we have more than 10 government laboratories, where equipment have been installed by Restech”.
In the food sector, he said that “the ministry has tightened restrictions on imports from certain countries, whereas more countries and products are added to the list of banned items or regions after laboratory analysis and investigations are carried out”. Referring to the Danish technology being used here especially in agriculture sector, Steensen said that “Saudi Arabia is the biggest food market for Danish food exports as well as Danish investments in the food sector. That is why, we also welcome the promotion initiative of another food related company like Foss here today at the symposium”.
In reply to a question about the Saudi ban on Danish and European beef, Steensen pointed out that “Danish beef is very safe now. Denmark has successfully implemented a salmonella control program for poultry as well as a BSE control program”.
On Scandinavian Foss technology, Olayan and Nilsmo said that Foss’ dedicated analytical solutions have helped businesses to succeed in somatic cell analysis.
