Asean Delegates Meet On Prepared Foodstuff
By Azrol Azmi

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Sixth Meeting of the Asean Consultative Committee on Standard and Quality (ACCSQ) Product Working Group on Prepared Foodstuff began yesterday at the Centrepoint Hotel in Gadong for two consecutive days.

Some 30 delegates from Asean member countries and also representatives from the Asean Secretariat attended the meeting. The meeting was officially opened by the Acting Director of Agriculture, Dayang Hajah Normah SuriaHayati.

The main aim of the Working Group meeting is to harmonise technical requirements of specific areas related to prepared foodstuff and the implementation of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for prepared foodstuff.

It also discusses the progress on the implementation of work programmes on prepared foodstuff. The work programmes that would be deliberated during the meeting will include Transparency of Prepared Foodstuff Regulatory Regime among member countries, whereby there will be exchange and update of information on the existing standards, regulations and mandatory requirements related to Prepared Foodstuff, Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of Prepared Foodstuff.

The meeting will select low risk food products, which are of common interest among member countries to be' considered for possible MRA. Also, Asean harmonised technical requirements on HACCP and GMP Inspection and Certification and implementation of Asean Common Food Control Requirements will also be among the work programmes that would be deliberated during the meeting.

The meeting will also update on the latest status on the implementation of the EC-Asean Regional Economic Cooperation Programme, particularly dealing with the food sector.

Other topics to be discussed include Asean Reference Laboratories, Establishment of Pilot Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, cooperation with relevant international and regional organisations, strengthening of Food Safety Standards for Prepared Foodstuff, MRA and other technical matters.

It is hoped that the meeting will achieve significant outputs to meet the main goal of the product working group, namely to harmonise the technical requirements of specific areas for prepared foodstuff as well as to look into possible mutual arrangement in this field.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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