Residents help improve food quality

Abu Dhabi: More and more Abu Dhabi residents are careful about what they buy at shops now, thanks to an awareness drive by Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).

"Many residents told us they read the food labels before purchasing packaged food," said Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Manager of Communication and Information Department.

"Now it is very difficult to find packaged food without labels in Abu Dhabi market".

The improvement in standards of butchery shops in the emirate is visible now. "They have improved their standards to European levels, thanks to ADFCA's strict implem-entation."

Classification of shops based on their standards such as A, B and C helps both the shopkeepers and customers alike.

Ensuring rights

"The shopkeeper can attract more customers with his shop classification and customers can easily identify good shops.

"We implementing strict rules and ensuring basic human rights. It is the right of everyone to have safe food," he said.

A survey conducted by Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in Abu Dhabi proved that 85 per cent of the public are satisfied with the services of the authority.

"Considering the short history of ADFCA, it is a big achievement. We have been able to act against the products of multinational companies and influential local companies thanks to the support extended by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is Ruler of Abu Dhabi; General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of ADFCA."

"Strategy and Planning process of the authority amazed me when I joined in 2006," said Reyaysa.

"It is formulated with participation of entire staff from all sections. But for many organisations, one of the consultancy groups does that job and the staff is compelled to implement them as machines do.

Communication

"But here staff get a chance to implement their own vision and plans as they are also involved in formulation of strategy and planning," Reyaysa said.

He finds such participation of staff as a key factor in the authority's success.

In the internal meetings, the staff compare the performance with similar organisations elsewhere in the world. Such steps received appreciation from international experts who participated in the scientific committee meeting held recently.

"The interaction with similar organisations from around the world has helped us a lot. We learned a lot from them. Sometimes we were surprised to see that we had pioneered in some fields."

The participation of entire staff in strategy and planning has enabled to make the functioning more transparent to media and public. That has ensured media support and trust. The ECSSR survey proved that media persons were cent per cent satisfied with the authority's response to them.

"As the manager of the Communication and Information department I always keep my doors open for the media. Because media asks the information in the interests of the public. So we are able to make very good understanding with media," said Reyaysa.

Public has been giving feedback to the authority which has helped it to improve its services.

"We always call up people who sent serious complaints or suggestions and we learn a lot from them. Communication with other food safety agencies in the region and other parts of the world has also helped us tackle several issues.

"We get alerts from them and we are able to take precautions or warn the public to keep safeguards," he said.

Understanding with other agencies in the country also makes the system foolproof.

The authority is also a centre of women's power. Women occupy key posts in the authority. One of the two assistant directors is a woman.

Emiratisation

The manager of the laboratories who is a woman won the Abu Dhabi Government Award for the best employee this year.

The authority gives priority to emiratisation. We apply 'catch them young' formula and sponsor the pupils in high schools to continue their education in food safety sector.

Higher Colleges of Technology has designed a course in food safety to meet the demands of the authority.

"We have made understanding with global universities also to send our employees for higher education. Graduates can do their masters and research subsequently".

Other staff too get international exposure with conferences and workshops abroad.