The Head of the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), Tarek al-Houby, confirmed that the authority is collecting samples of bottled mineral drinking water from markets for analysis and quality assessment.
He clarified that the oversight includes the wells used by the companies, alongside the manufacturing process, bottling, and treatment, with every step being monitored according to detailed specifications and analysis in a flow chart.
During an interview with journalist Karima Awad on the program Hadeeth Al-Qahira (Cairo Talk), broadcast on Al-Qahera Wal Nas channel, Tarek al-Houby added that the NFSA follows a specific mechanism for drawing samples and submitting them to laboratories according to precise specifications.
He stressed that Egypt’s regulatory system is tightly controlled and disciplined, noting that it is assessed annually by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Egypt also regularly receives inspection missions from the European Union to evaluate food quality before export.
Al-Houby indicated that the volume of bottled water in Egypt reaches four billion liters annually, confirming that the NFSA conducts regular factory visits, both scheduled and surprise inspections, to ensure compliance with standards.
He also mentioned that there are three distinct phases for the periodic evaluation of food factories.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
