Expert Consultation Meeting on the Status of the Cold Chain in the Food Sector in the Near East Region

 The cold chain (pre-cooling, refrigerated storage, refrigerated transport, refrigerated display) is a critical component of the food industry. The lack of an adequate development and use of the cold chain is the cause of significant quantitative and qualitative food losses. The cold chain in the RNE region is not adequately developed nor adequately used and this has a very negative effect on food availability, quality and safety.

The cold chain issue has been raised as a very important requirement in the Near East Region through diverse consultation with stakeholders in the private and the public sectors in the region. Therefore, this issue was considered as one of the round tables to be presented during the RNE Regional Agro industrial Forum to be held next fall. 

However, since the number of round tables might be considered excessive to be able to accomplish them all during the forum (12 round tables), the organizing committee has decided to hold an expert consultation meeting ahead of the forum and discuss the outcomes of the meeting during the Forum. 

The expert consultation meeting on the cold chain in foods was held in Cairo during 5-7 July 2011.

The meeting will gather about 20 experts on the following topics:

1. Status and challenges of the cold chain in the horticultural food industry
2. Status and challenges of the cold chain in the fish industry
3. Status and challenges of the cold chain in the dairy industry
4. Status and challenges of the cold chain in the meat industry
5. Extension and technology transfer in the cold chain in the region

At least 3 experts of different disciplines (one from the private sector, one from the public sector and a researcher) from different sub-regions of RNE will cover each topic. Each team will be coordinated by one of the members and all the teams will be coordinated by a general coordinator. 

Each group will prepare a report and a power point presentation on the status of the use of the cold chain in the region in its discipline to be presented, shared with and discussed with everyone during the meeting, from where (from all the reports of all the different groups and disciplines) we will come up with a final (one single) report on the status of the cold chain in the food sector in the RNE region to be presented in the Regional Agro industry Forum to be held next fall. 

The specific points to be discussed and prepared in the reports of the individual topics, in the power point presentations, to be discussed during the meeting, and to be developed in the final report are: 

1. The status of the cold chain in the food sector in the RNE region.
2. The challenges facing the use and performance of the cold chain in the food sector in the RNE region.
3. Recommendation for means and strategies to improve the cold chain in the food sector in the RNE region.