The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC) held the second quarter 2024 meeting of the Abu Dhabi Standard Technical Committee, which included 37 members representing 25 government entities.
The meeting, which was chaired by His Excellency Brigadier Jassim Al Harmoudi, First Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Standard Technical Committee, discussed various documents, including the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Nutrition Guideline, prepared by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ADECA).
The guidebook was developed in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the Department of Community Development (DCD), the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPC), and the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
The guidebook aims to provide a comprehensive reference framework for stakeholders, policymakers, and food programmes by including the latest studies in modern functional nutrition principles, food behaviours and eating disorders, and the gut microbiome. The guidebook also provides reference support for several related projects implemented by stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of food service recipients.
ADECA emphasised the importance of the guidebook in supporting efforts to reduce the risk of childhood obesity in the emirate by providing a unified reference framework for stakeholders to ensure healthy food availability for the target groups.
His Excellency Brigadier Jassim Al Harmoudi, First Vice Chairman of the Committee, said: "The outcomes of the Technical Standard Committee’s work are in line with the Council's efforts to realise its vision to upgrade the quality infrastructure and contribute to enabling the emirate of Abu Dhabi to excel globally.”
“The council works in cooperation with government and private sector partners to develop technical and professional standards in various sectors and strives to ensure quality and conformity in all activities and industries.”
Fatima Al Melhi, Special Projects Department Acting Director at ADECA, said the authority is keen to collaborate with various partners to promote public health and proper nutrition for children in Abu Dhabi by developing policies, services, and programmes that support parents and caregivers in achieving this goal.
She emphasised the importance of the role of parents and the community in promoting awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition and adopting healthy eating habits for children and all family members. She added that joint community efforts contribute significantly to improving the overall health and well-being of children.
