In line with the directives of Mr. Alaa El-Din Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Adel Abdel-Azim, President of the Agricultural Research Center, to provide technical and advisory support to professionals working in the agriculture and food industries sector, Prof. Dr. Hend Abdallah, Director of the Central Laboratory for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues and Heavy Metals in Food, announced the participation of the Central Laboratory for Pesticide Residues in the 10th International Trade Exhibition for Food and Beverages, Food Africa, which was held over four consecutive days.

This participation took place through the cooperation protocol signed between the laboratory, the Food Industries Chamber, and the Food Industries Export Council. Participation in this major international exhibition represents a valuable opportunity to meet the laboratory’s clients and stakeholders working in the food industries sector. The laboratory showcased the various services it provides to agricultural production and food manufacturing companies, and welcomed exhibition visitors at its designated booth to discuss potential areas of cooperation with representatives of participating companies, as well as specialized visitors from different countries.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, the second meeting of the African Food Safety and Control Authorities Forum (AFRAF) was held, in which Abdallah participated. The meeting witnessed broad participation from heads and representatives of food safety authorities across African countries, both in person and via video conferencing, in addition to the participation of a number of international experts from Canada, Thailand, France, England, Italy, and Ireland. Abdallah emphasized that this meeting represents a continuation of Egypt’s leading role since the launch of the AFRAF Forum for the first time in Cairo in 2023, following the adoption of the “Cairo Declaration,” with the aim of establishing a continental platform to enhance cooperation, exchange expertise, and support the development of effective regulatory systems within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Abdallah also participated in a high-level roundtable discussion on “Green Transition Requirements for Egyptian Exports and Their Impact on Industrial Companies in the Food Industries and Packaging Sectors,” within the framework of the Private Sector Innovation Program – Phase II (PSI II), implemented by the Ministry of Industry and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in partnership with Lynx Business Advisors. The discussion aimed to present the key findings of the review of legislation and green trade requirements conducted by the project and their impact on Egyptian exports in the sectors under study, as well as to open a constructive dialogue between leading exporting companies in the food industries and packaging sectors and relevant governmental and semi-governmental entities to discuss practical challenges facing the green transition and to exchange expertise and possible solutions.

It is worth noting that this year’s exhibition includes more than 1,200 exhibitors from over 40 Arab, Asian, and European countries. This marks the laboratory’s tenth consecutive participation in the exhibition, facilitating broader communication with producers and exporters in the agriculture and food industries sectors, and highlighting the role of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Center through the laboratory’s services and its contribution to food safety.