Central Cuban province hosts new food safety project

CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, Cienfuegos, Sep 12 (ACN) With a workshop held at the Center for Environmental Studies of Cienfuegos (CEAC by its Spanish acronym), began today the territorial project Contribution to the strengthening of food safety management in the province of Cienfuegos, supported by a monitoring program of chemical contaminants as a tool.

PhD in Sciences Rita Yvelice Sibello Hernandez, CEAC Senior Researcher, told the Cuban News Agency that the initiative, better known as SEGAL, will be implemented in the next three years, with the objective of strengthening food safety management in the territory.

She added that they will monitor and analyze radionuclides and chemical contaminants in foodstuffs, including heavy metals of great toxicological importance such as arsenic, lead, zinc, iron and copper, as well as pesticides and residues of veterinary drugs.

Among the samples to be studied, she pointed out, are the vegetables sown in the city's organoponic farms, agricultural and animal products distributed by Acopio, and marine organisms marketed by the Empresa Pesquera Industrial de Cienfuegos (Epicien).

The expert emphasized that the results will allow timely decision making in order to prevent damage to the health of consumers.

The Territorial Normalization Unit and the Provincial Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology will participate in the project, along with the Provincial Plant Health and National Food Hygiene Laboratories, as well as Epicien.