In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Professor Eunice Taylor, the centre’s director and specialist in food safety management through Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), sheds light on the relevance of the centre and its mission to enhance food safety in the UAE.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: What prompted the Canadian University of Dubai (CUD) to plan a centre for food safety and offer courses here in the UAE?

A: I first came to Dubai in 2001 when students began to enroll on an e-learning HACCP Master’s programme that I had launched in the United Kingdom, International Centre for HACCP Innovation. I have since been a frequent visitor to the region to see students, many of whom are senior government employees, and also to participate in conferences and attend the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority Scientific Committee meetings, of which
I am a member.

There is great commitment and enthusiasm for food safety in this part of the world which is why when I was offered the opportunity to create a new centre in Dubai, I did not hesitate. Like every country in the world, food-borne disease is a growing problem here and given (that) it is preventable, education is the way forward.

Q: Please give us some background information of yourself and the Taylor family’s experience in food safety management.

A: We have three Food Safety in the Catering Industry Ph.Ds in the family. In the UK, we are known as the ‘crazy HACCP family’. My husband, Dr Jeremy Taylor, was a chef in both small and large establishments before becoming a catering teacher. My eldest daughter, Dr Joanne Taylor, who graduated in psychology, is a lecturer at the University of Salford and is responsible for the Master’s course there in Food Safety Management. We are all involved in writing books, food safety teaching and presenting papers at conferences
and workshops.

All of us were part of the research and development of the Menu-Safe training system that is being delivered as part of the CUD portfolio. I think the most important point about Menu-Safe is that it is ‘HACCP made easy’ for all food service businesses, from the smallest independent operation to international hotel groups and restaurant chains. The methodology has been acknowledged by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Codex Alimentarius, as well as the municipalities of Dubai and Sharjah.

Q: How are the courses going to benefit the food industry and the general public here?

A: Generally, for the public to have confidence in the foods they purchase, both from retail (outlets) or restaurants and the food producers to know they are doing everything they can to maintain a safe food supply. The CUD food safety centre intends to bring such benefits by facilitating
improvements to food safety practices in the UAE.

For example, the CUD centre is the base for the Menu-Safe programme in the UAE, which will be extensively rolled out to food service businesses in the coming months and years. This will have a fundamental positive impact on food safety in the region.

Q: I understand that the centre is going to offer short-term courses as well as a Master’s degree in food safety management. Could you tell us about their relevance?

A: The courses planned at the CUD span the whole range of provision from short courses to address specific practical problems and their solutions, to Master’s and doctorates for those with wider roles in food safety at a higher level of responsibility. Many food inspectors from the UAE are past and present Master’s students who studied at my previous university in the UK. When I was invited by the Canadian University to set up a food safety centre in Dubai it seemed like an excellent opportunity to bring this provision closer to the customers in this fast developing and enthusiastic country.

Q: What is your understanding of the food safety situation in the UAE and how do you think educational programmers like these can make
a difference?

All countries need to improve their food safety standards. The UAE is no different in this respect. However, I have noticed some differences while working with the municipalities. There are already thorough inspection systems in place, but there is also a high level of commitment to make continual improvements in this very
challenging area.

In particular I bring the Menu-Safe HACCP system that I have spent 20 years of my life developing. It is the only system of its kind in the world and, to me, to be able to launch it in the UAE is a great privilege.

Q: Apart from the courses mentioned, what else can we expect from the International Food Safety Centre? Are you planning, for example, surveys, research studies,
laboratory services etc?

A: I have always believed that the job of a university is to meet the needs of the country. As I just said, we are running courses in food safety to meet the complete spectrum of levels.

Dr Chelli, the vice-chancellor, is also very keen for the centre to have a wider reach and be involved in other activities. Therefore, we plan to run conferences and other programmes starting this December with a HACCP Birthday Party and food safety symposium to mark the creation of HACCP 50 years ago. The event will coincide with the official launch of our centre at the CUD on December 10. We have already started free drop-in sessions for business managers who need help to implement food safety systems and this will, hopefully, grow to become a full business support centre in the future.

We also hope to collaborate with other universities in the UAE to run joint events and optimise available expertise and facilities. My long-term aim is to continue to work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and FAO to facilitate the university becoming a centre of UN food safety activities in the region.

Q: Is the centre collaborating with the municipalities or any other local authorities in developing the course content and for other activities?

A: All of our food safety management courses have been scrutinised by the Dubai Municipality and approved. Also, we are collaborating with them with their special programmes of helping small business to improve food safety. This includes the implementation of the Menu-Safe HACCP food safety management system. This is part of the municipality’s excellent initiative to support the improvement of businesses by empowering owners to manage food safety effectively.

Q: What can the centre do for raising the food safety awareness among the general public here?

A: The centre has collaborated already with the municipality in supporting various activities such as conferences and public awareness initiatives. We recently hosted an open seminar on strategies for raising public awareness in food safety which was well supported. We will have more awareness programmes in the future.

sajila@khaleejtimes.ae