DUSHANBE, October 6, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Press Cafe on Food Safety and Quality Control of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable production in Tajikistan is being held at the Tajikistan Hotel in Dushanbe today.

According to the Delegation of the European Union in Tajikistan, the event is organized by the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tajikistan in cooperation with Hilfswerk Austria International in Tajikistan, financed by the European Union’s Central Asia – Invest   II program.  The project aimed at promoting of regional integration of Central Asia in global economy.

Representatives of relevant government agencies, fruit and vegetable processors and representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations are participating in the Press Cafe. 

The following people are being presented as the experts:

Qurbonov I. K. - First Deputy Director of Agency on Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Inspection under the Government of Tajikistan;

Sharipov N. - Head of state supervision management over compliance with requirements of regulatory and technical documents and product quality;

Nematova Z. - GIZ representative - Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia.

The main goal of the event is to raise the public awareness on food safety in the production and processing sector in Tajikistan.

Fruit and vegetable products in Tajikistan are famous for their nutrients and flavor qualities.  Thus, these products have a great value in the term of quality in the CIS markets.  Over the past 10 years, the requirements of foreign markets for quality and safety of fresh and processed fruits and vegetable products have appreciably changed.  Further, external and internal customers of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products start to pay special attention to safety and quality of consumed products.