The Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), H.E. Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey, met today in Santiago with Dr. Andreas Hensel, the President of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The meeting was held as part of the bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the 6th meeting of the International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF), held in Chile from April 9-11, 2025. 

The meeting underscored the crucial role of regulatory authorities in forging robust partnerships with the private sector. This collaboration is vital for developing and improving product quality, driving progress, and enhancing operational efficiency within a unified system that prioritizes product safety.

Discussions centered on the importance of establishing an integrated regulatory system underpinned by reliable reference data, accurate quality testing, and transparent regulatory frameworks. This foundation will foster greater confidence in regulatory information, improve the capacity for proactive risk assessment and response, and ultimately enhance product reliability and food safety.

Officials from the SFDA delegation also conducted a series of bilateral meetings with several counterpart regulatory bodies, including the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Chilean Food Safety and Quality Agency (ACHIPIA), the New Zealand Food Safety branch of the Ministry of Primary Industries (NZFS), and the Portuguese Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE). These meetings were geared towards fostering joint cooperation frameworks and enhancing integrated work with pertinent international organizations to ultimately serve food quality and safety objectives.