KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Food and Nutrition has signed a contract with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) under which the Institute will provide advisory and operational services to the Authority’s food laboratories. Reem Al Fulaij, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Authority, stressed the Authority’s keenness to operate its laboratories in accordance with the latest international systems, practices, and standards.

“The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research is the ideal partner as a scientific and research reference in the fields of its specializations and has extensive experience in dealing with scientific and technical developments on an international scale,” she said. Al-Fulaij indicated that the contract will last for a period of five years and specializes in providing advisory and operational services to food laboratories of the General Authority for Food and Nutrition.

She pointed out that the contract will also contribute to the development of analytical systems and procedures in line with the latest international standard methods to keep pace with development in the field of laboratories. The Acting Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Dr Meshaan Al-Otaibi, said that this comes within the framework of supporting the Authority’s efforts to ensure the sustainability of food safety.

Al-Otaibi pointed out that the Institute’s efforts with state agencies began ten years ago, as it previously cooperated with the Kuwait Municipality in some projects, research, and technical assistance in establishing a central laboratory for food control, determining instrumentation specifications and analysis protocols, and establishing a risk-based system for food samples and analysis. He added that the institute has designed the central laboratory for food control to conduct food analyses and ensure their compliance with GCC and international standards. — KUNA