AMMAN — Director-general of the
Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Nizar Mhaidat, on Monday met with the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee to discuss statements made by Sana Gammoh, the previous director of the JFDA laboratories, regarding the alleged presence of carcinogenic substances in Jordanian food.
اضافة اعلان
The head of the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, Ahmed Al-Sarrahna, told
Jordan News that: “Gammoh’s statements created a huge reaction amongst Jordanians, and it was necessary to meet with the director of the JFDA to follow up on this matter.”
He added that the committee would formally question “every word” JFDA’s director shared, to which he replied that “the food was safe,” according to Sarrahna.
“We will do our part as a parliamentary committee by sending a parliamentary question to be answered officially and with evidence,” said Sarrahna.
Regarding the outcomes of the meeting, Sarrahna said: “The committee will make an official visit to the administration … and we will visit the laboratories. We are now waiting for evidence from the JFDA.”
Sarrahna also shared that the committee called for the formation of a committee “composed of experts in food health” to follow up on Gammoh’s remarks to prove the validity of her research.
JDFA’s director-general, Mhaidat, said that the committee’s meeting was held to clarify the administration’s position on rumors about food safety.
“Our food is safe and sound, as the administration plays a qualitative supervisory role that surpasses many countries and is considered unparalleled. Our food tests are constant and continuous,” he added.
In an interview with
Jordan News, Gammoh shared that she learned from local media outlets about the possibility of an alleged lawsuit being filed against her. To which she said: “Until now, I have not been informed of anything about filing a lawsuit against me by the JFDA’s director-general, but I learned about this from news websites, and I hope that this lawsuit will continue,” stressing that she’s “glad that this happened.”
She said that a team of researchers, including her, have conducted studies and that samples were taken of products from various countries, Jordan included.
Gammoh stressed the necessity of her study being reviewed by experts and for the necessary authorities to test samples as she did, noting that the study was published in the “Journal of Food Science,” a well-known, peer-reviewed scientific journal.
“I am not the type of person who seeks to gain a position, as some believe … But, I owe it to Jordanian citizens, who helped by sending me to the UK to finish my studies at their expense. Today, it is my turn to repay the favor by sharing what is in their food.”
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