The Lower House Health and Environment Committee, headed by MP Ahmed Sarrahna, on Monday discussed the procedures taken to ensure Jordan’s food and medicine safety.
Speaking at the meeting, attended by the Director-General of the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Dr. Nizar Mhaidat, and a number of specialists, Sarahna said the panel’s discussions aim to find out truth related to media reports, alleging presence of carcinogenic substances in some foodstuffs.
Continuing: “The committee is concerned with details, for the interest of the health and safety of foodstuffs for citizens and residents in Jordan, “calling for clarifications from the JFDA on the carcinogenic substances, by forming a neutral committee to verify social platforms’ reports.
Noting the JFDA’s monitoring role to clarify this issue in a scientific manner, Jordan Food Law indicates stipulates JFDA’s cooperation with local, regional and international academic and supervisory authorities, to strengthen control procedures, according to a committee statement.
For his part, Mhaidat said reports related to carcinogenic substances surfaced in an analytical study based on taking different samples of fish, adding that “this research was re-published.”
Mhaidat said re-publishing this study at this time is “startling”, adding that the JFDA uses official laboratories, especially for lab tests in the event results of the JFDA’s tests are rejected.
In response to the MPs’ inquiries, Mhaidat said Jordan relies on imports with regard to wheat, stressing the need to retain the role of Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply related to wheat shipments, which helps preserve supplies of this basic material.
Source: Jordan News Agency