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Team from Dubai Municipality manages Foodwatch
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Friday, 01 February, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ramiz Thalhath
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Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Wide varieties of food from around the world is playing a major role as well. Government is responsible to maintain the safety and quality of food as people come to Dubai for a full package.
Foodwatch
Dubai Municipality Food Control Department has developed Foodwatch, a platform to facilitate transparency in the process flow of legal authorities, food businesses, service providers and the consumers. This digital monitoring application provides each and every process from farm/port to fork. When it reaches optimum utilisation, Foodwatch will facilitate decreased transaction costs by reducing duplication, reconciliation, and record-keeping tasks.
Food safety professionals are happy to create their profile as Technical Experts and Person In Charges (PIC) where this app will act as a hub of qualified and proven records of each and every professional individual. Foodwatch registration has been completed by Entities from Public and Private sector in last December. By the end of Foodwatch implementation, Dubai will have achieved a certain percentage of paper-free city.
Firms are instructed to display the grade of Dubai Municipality inspection where consumers can have a clear idea about the quality of service.
The Platform
The Food Safety Department of Dubai Municipality developed the Foodwatch platform to facilitate data exchange between authorities, food businesses, service providers and consumers. By utilising digital monitoring techniques, data analytics and customised applications, the platform will offer full traceability of foods with validated ingredient and nutritional information. Smart contracts, services and customised applications will deliver every user a unique experience based on their requirements. Digitalised exchange of data will enable delivery of real-time assurance based on predictive insight, from what went wrong to what is likely to go wrong.
The Network
The platform will connect all stakeholders, products and processes in a unique and trusted digital network and make life better for everyone. When it reaches optimum utilisation, Foodwatch will fundamentally facilitate trust among parties and decrease transaction costs by reducing duplication, reconciliation, and record-keeping tasks.
The People
A multi-disciplinary team from the Food Safety and Information Technology Departments of Dubai Municipality manages the Foodwatch platform. Authorised personnel from Science Tribune currently manage the data collection process.
Food Safety Mandate
Digital technology has the potential to affect every aspect of food safety, enabling organisations to identify and manage food safety risks more precisely. Foodwatch provides a powerful infrastructure that will not only digitalise documents, procedures and records, but also serve as an interface for real-time interaction. As a single platform that connects all users that includes the government, food establishments and service providers, Foodwatch will help users verify anything and everything with certainty across the food supply chain.
A Digital Identity
Every organisation in the system and everyone using the system including the PIC of food safety in every food establishment, food handlers, consultant, trainers and auditors will have a unique, safe and secure digital identity.
Near Zero Paperwork
Food safety management systems have been largely paper-based and it costs both food industry and the government enormous time and resources to maintain and verify records and documents related to these systems. Foodwatch will transform this by building trust around digital, immutable, permanent and auditable record-keeping. Documents related to supplier verification, certification, product and process information, training documents, temperature monitoring records, pest monitoring programme, cleaning and disinfection records and so on are some of the examples of documents that would be fully digitalised.
Traditional documents of approvals and permits that can be tampered with or could be lost will be replaced with 'Smart Permits' (inspired by smart contracts).
Data Driven Decisions
By moving to digital records, Foodwatch will open up information silos and enable data sharing and connectivity with other digital ecosystems. This will help Dubai Municipality and the food businesses make data-driven strategies and decisions.
Built in rules and algorithms in the platform will validate information and provide instant decisions and real-time permits. This will significantly improve the services offered by the Food Safety Department.
End to End Traceability
Foodwatch will make it possible to quickly trace food products to their source for enhanced food authenticity and safety. By connecting food producers, processors, distributors, suppliers, retailers and regulators and by providing immutable records, Foodwatch will provide enhanced visibility and accountability throughout the food supply chain.
(The author is food safety specialist, Dubai. He can be contacted at ramiz.kthalhath@yahoo.co.in)
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