Muscat: This initiative, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources’ broader strategy, aims to qualify facilities and enhance inspection measures to guarantee compliance with health standards and approved specifications.

The field inspections targeted a wide range of facilities, including food, agricultural, animal, and fish establishments, as well as fish powder and oil factories, warehouses, fishing vessels, trading outlets, and marketing venues. These visits were crucial in assessing and ensuring adherence to required standards.

Dr. Hussein bin Samah Al Masroori, Director General of the Food Safety and Quality Center, emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to food safety and how they have developed an integrated system that aligns with advances in food production while focusing on scientific and risk management approaches.

The Ministry’s efforts span across regulating production, import, export, and trading processes, qualifying food facilities, and issuing regulations. In the first 10 months of 2024, the center responded to 90 reports and warnings, issued 11 local food circulars, conducted three product recalls, and released one safety notice.

In the first half of 2024 alone, 26,584 imported food shipments were inspected and released. The center also issued over 15,138 validity certificates, 2,319 health certificates, 552 export certificates, 451 explanatory data cards, and matched 1,396 test reports to enhance foreign trade and maintain market integrity.