Regional experts investigate solutions for Egyptian food industry

Entitled "Opportunities & Challenges in the Food Industry: Egypt and Middle East", this seminar of industry leaders is being presented by global science company DuPont in partnership with Egypt's Chamber of Food Industries. Speakers include Mr. David Rushton, a Dubai-based food safety consultant; Mr. Wissam Bissar, Sales Manager at Saudi food packaging company Napco; Mr. Youssry El Tinawy, General Manager of the Chamber of Food Industries; and Mr. Amr El-Moniem, Country Leader for DuPont Egypt. Together the speakers will address the broad range of issues facing the full food value chain and what can be done to combat them here in Egypt.

Challenges facing the Egyptian food industry are numerous, such as the effects of H5N1 avian flu on public health and on the economics of the local poultry market. However, other issues also plague the food industry. Of particular concern given the local climate is keeping out oxygen, humidity, and other elements that may affect the quality of container foods. Micro-organism growth is also a main concern to ensure secure and safe operations for any food processing factory; again, the extreme climate in Egypt can accelerate such growth, so means to combat it are particularly important locally.

Not all issues that the Egyptian food industry is grappling with relate to food safety. One such example instead concerns intellectual property (IP) protection. Specifically, counterfeit food and beverages are increasingly common, with brand name packaging being reproduced illegally and used to sell inferior non-brand name goods. Local food and beverage companies may be particularly at risk for counterfeiting, since they have less funds and know-how to apply to this issue.

The issues facing the food industry, in Egypt and elsewhere, require innovative solutions. Event co-host DuPont is considered a leading contender to address these needs. Most recently in its food industry leadership, DuPont was asked by the United Nations to provide its Virkon® S veterinary disinfectant to 69 countries, including Egypt, to help stem the further spread of the H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus. In Egypt, Virkon S is already being used by officials at the Cairo Zoo to help protect the animals after several birds infected with the H5N1 avian flu virus were found in the zoo's artificial lake. Additional supplies of this disinfectant will be distributed to personnel in Egypt's poultry processing industry to help workers protect against contaminants from contact with infected birds. Egyptian poultry industry workers are also being actively encouraged to wear special protective clothing to further protect themselves against the H5N1 virus.