21/10/1995
Eng. Zeinab Hanafy submitted a working paper titled „Reasons for Food Pollution in the Egyptian Countryside“. The paper reviewed the sources of food pollution in the Egyptian countryside. The causes were: Excessive use of herbicides, medical drugs in animal production, environmental pollution caused by auto exhaust and various industrial wastes, environmental pollution caused by human and animal waste which transmits diseases and excessive use of food additives during manufacturing (additives such as colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers and packing and packaging materials).(Available in Arabic – German in PDF )
The paper revealed that procedures must be followed in the Egyptian countryside to keep foods from being contaminated such as: Promoting scientific and healthy ways to use herbicides, learning how to lessen the effects of these herbicides, promoting a healthy awareness with simple scientific methods for village citizens, informing the women on how to prepare their homes, how to look after agricultural stock in regards to production and supplies, how to maintain this stock by preparing barns for animals, caring for them and their production such as milk, and in addition, learning wholesome healthy customs to teach their children. The local councils also have to perform their role by disposing of waste around houses and food processing areas in the countryside and fighting insect and rodent populations. A complete healthy supervision must be implemented to ensure the safety of food processing areas whether in houses or small factories, with focus on milk manufacturing areas. Healthy food trading methods must be promoted, represented by vehicles equipped to hold food for street vendors. Food additives must only be used under supervision. Dye must be prohibited from being added to sweets. It is also necessary to ensure the safety of the water being used in food processing. It must be free from microbes, impurities and salts, with focus on not using canal water to wash utensils used for preparing foods.
