Saudi Food and Drug Authority conference to discuss support of national industry in food, medicine

Dr. Hisham S. Al-Jadhey, SFDA executive president, center, speaks during a press conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (AN photo)

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) will host a major conference next month to discuss support of national industry in the food and medicine sectors.
The three-day conference will be inaugurated on Nov. 7, with the theme of “Towards a national pioneering industry in the fields of food, medicine and medical devices.”
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the headquarters of the SFDA, Dr. Hisham S. Al-Jadhey, SFDA executive president, said that “about 150 top-notch experts working in the fields of food and medicine will participate in the event.”
The press briefing was also attended by Dr. Nasser Fahd bin Dhim, a consultant for the authority, and Mazin Mousa Al-Ismael, executive director of public affairs.
Spelling out details of the conference, Al-Jadhey said: “The event, under the patronage of the chairman of the SFDA board of directors, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, is being organized for the first time to offer a platform for scientific and practical discussions during which scientific and regulatory developments will be presented in fields related to the work of SFDA, localization of experiences, and knowledge enrichment in food and medicine education.”
He said that the SFDA seeks to achieve its objectives within the framework of Vision 2030 by enhancing efficiency, transparency and creating the necessary environment for citizens, companies and businesses to take the initiative. “Together, they will all face challenges and seize opportunities to ensure food safety, as well as the safety of medical devices and products,” he added.
“The conference will discuss food control and legislation; food safety and risk assessment; feed and its impact on human and animal health; contaminants and pesticide residues in food; nutrition policies and their impact on public health; and innovative food legislation and standards,” said a statement distributed after the press conference.
In the field of medicine, the statement said, event participants will discuss control and legislation of medicines and preparations; localization of the pharmaceutical industry; pharmaceutical fraud; quality of drugs and preparations; pharmacological alertness; and pharmaceutical epidemiology. The conference will also discuss control and legislation of medical devices, the localization of their industry, their testing and calibration.
The conference will include lectures, seminars, scientific and applied workshops, and training courses. The annual conference is expected to have a significant impact on health and knowledge enrichment in the pharmaceutical, medical device and food sectors.