On May 28, President Michel Sleiman invited Professors Mey Jurdi and Rabih Kamleh and the research team from the Department of Environmental Health (ENHL) to disuss the implementation of a proposed food safety law (2005) that would regulate food safety in Lebanon.  Kamleh and Jurdi summarized the importance of the proposed food safety law that is based on risk analysis, transparency and accountability.

Last summer, food safety scandals and stories of serious pollution of the Litani River Basin attracted wide media coverage.  Harakit Wa'i Movement, an NGO, invited Professor Jurdi to present a situation analysis of the Litani River Basin, and the Kalam al-Nas TV program interviewed both Jurdi and Kamleh on water quality and food safety issues. 

But in fact, this story goes much further back.  As Kamleh explains, the issue of food safety in Lebanon has been neglected far too long.  In a report presented to the President's Office in November 2011, Kamleh presented an assessment of the current dysfunctional food safety system and how the proposed food safety law  would remedy this situation (read more about this here).   It is hoped that with the President's support and assurances of follow-up, the passing of this law will be given due attention.   A debate on food safety between Kamleh and the Minister of Agriculture and organized by the AUB-Bekaa Chapter is scheduled to take place in Chtaura on July 7, 2012.