“Food safety is cross-cutting major concerns in ensuring food and nutrition in every Filipino including farmers,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar stressed during the opening ceremonies of the Food Safety Week on October 21, 2019.
In his message, Dar underscored the importance of implementing food safety measures that enhance the development of the food sector, and are not too restrictive.
“You have to balance intents and purposes, and engage developmental process in agriculture,” he explained.
Secretary Dar added that in ensuring food safety and nutrition, food items should always be available and affordable for farmers and consumers.
“Let’s see to it that nutritious and safe food is always accessible,” he said.
With the theme: “Para sa Masaganang ANI at Mataas na KITA: Tiyaking Malinis at Ligtas ang Pagkain,” the Food Safety Awareness Week highlights the unified and harmonized efforts of the Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Regulatory Agencies (DA-FSRA) and other support agencies as mandated by the Food Safety Act of 2013.
Under the Food Safety Act, the following agencies comprise the FSRA: Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), for food derived from animals including eggs and honey production; National Dairy Authority (NDA), for milk production and postharvest handling; National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), for meats; Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), for fresh fish and other seafood including those grown by aquaculture; Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), for plant foods; Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), for pesticides and fertilizers used in the production of plant and animal food; Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), for fresh coconut; and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), for sugar cane production and marketing.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) and the Food Development Center (FDC) will oversee that the mandate for food safety is carried out.
During the event, Atty. Hansel O. Didulo, assistant secretary for Regulations and The Visayas, presented the DA’s Food Safety Strategic Plan for 2019-2023. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)
