The Directorate for Food Safety under the Ministry of Public Health convened a press briefing aimed at enhancing public awareness regarding the hazard assessment of food products

At a press conference attended by senior officials from the Deputy Minister’s Office for Food and Drugs—including the Director General of Food Safety, Mawlawi Abdullah Hamid; Spokesperson and Director of Public Relations, Dr. Sharafat Zaman Amarkhil; and Director of Food Licensing, Engineer Mohammad Wali Adel—along with media representatives, the Director General outlined the directorate’s key achievements over the past year. He emphasized that, as Afghanistan remains partially reliant on food imports, citizens have the right to food that is safe, clean, halal, and of high quality to protect public health and ensure family well-being.

Mawlawi Abdullah Hamid emphasized that assessments align with scientific and international standards. He highlighted key achievements of the Directorate General of Food Safety, including preventing the smuggling of low-quality food, building public trust, supporting domestic production, removing tens of tons of substandard food, establishing laboratories, licensing companies, and enhancing institutional capacity.

During the press conference, Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, highlighted the event’s significance and objectives. He stressed the critical role of the media in raising public awareness and urged detailed communication of assessed hazards to prevent high-risk diseases and promote health.

Key officials from the Deputy Minister’s Office of Food and Drugs provided detailed updates on food safety efforts. Engineer Mohammad Wali Adel, Director of Food Licensing, along with capacity-building expert Engineer Sayed Nemat Hosinian and Engineer Shafiqullah Shafaq, Head of Food Analysis and Surveillance, outlined their work on monitoring, licensing new food companies, enforcing standards, and analyzing 39 types of food hazards. They also highlighted public awareness campaigns and reviewed the department’s achievements over the past year.