Representative of the foodstuff sector in the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC), Raed Hamadeh, said foodstuffs in Jordan is “safe and of high quality,” as they are imported from countries that impose “strict” control over its food exports.
In a press statement on Saturday, Hamadeh noted Jordan’s concerned authorities are monitoring imported foodstuffs to ensure their compliance with Jordanian specifications and standards.
All food products in Jordan are subject to lab tests and “strict” monitoring at border crossings, and conform to Jordanian and international technical rules, he pointed out.
The local market, he noted, offers a “large” stock of various food commodities that the citizens need from various global origins.
Meanwhile, products of the Jordanian food industry reach international markets, due to their quality and “high” competitiveness, he added.
The Kingdom’s foodstuff imports nearly stand at $4 billion annually, he said, adding that Jordanian factories’ products are manufactured in “large” quantities that require effort, expertise and funding to reach consumers.
Workers, he said, in the food sector, including importers and manufacturers, supply the markets of the Jordanian military and civilian consumer corporations, where lab checks are conducted again to ensure their quality and safety.
Hamadeh called for developing a food sector strategy by a private-public partnership, to address the related obstacles and challenges, and enhance its investments, denouncing attempts to question food safety in the Kingdom.
Noting the commercial and industrial sectors’ role to maintain Jordan’s stock of food and basic commodities, he added prices were “stable locally,” despite the Covid-19 pandemic-induced challenges.
The food sector constitutes approximately 30% of the volume of the trade sector, with more than 70,000 establishments countrywide, employing 250,000 workers.
SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY