Food Policy, Strategy and Safety in the Middle East

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2025) | Viewed by 2204

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Adjunct Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Interests: foodborne disease; food poisoning; hazard analysis critical control points; root cause analysis; foodborne pathogens and toxins; seafood toxins; cross-contamination; problems in food service and food processing; expert witness for court cases involving food contamination
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Guest Editor
DFK for Safe Food Environment, 30559 Hannover, Germany
Interests: food safety culture; food contaminants; food safety practices; food microbiology; food safety management; risk assessment; water reuse; food safety governance; food safety regulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Middle East encompasses countries characterized by distinct politico-economic dynamics that influence food systems differently across the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. For most, the viability of the food systems to sustain the growing populations while ensuring a safe food supply is threatened by the overuse of groundwater, now compounded by the effects of climate change. Additionally, governmental strategies prioritizing investments in research, proactive systems, and technological solutions play a crucial role. At the same time, effective communication and collaboration across sectors and institutionalization of food governance are vital leadership components in this context, especially regarding shared limited water resources. Nevertheless, the factors shaping the region’s ability to formulate and ensure the effective execution of relevant policies are subject to significant variations among the countries to tackle critical issues such as food security, foodborne disease prevention, water scarcity, and trade enhancement. The outcomes of these efforts hold immense significance for the social and health well-being of future generations.  

Therefore, this Special Issue on “Food Policy, Strategy, and Safety in the Middle East” aims to present a comprehensive outlook on these crucial areas by gathering insights into current challenges, transformations in food systems, and the development or urgent implementation of policies to enhance food safety and security, and a glance into future directions.

We invite you to submit your latest research works on subjects, including, but not limited to, the following keywords:

  • Food safety
  • Climate change
  • Food security
  • Food systems
  • Food safety governance
  • Food trade
  • Crop irrigation

Prof. Dr. Ewen C. D. Todd
Dr. Dima Faour-Klingbeil
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food safety culture
  • food contaminants
  • food safety practices
  • food microbiology
  • food safety management
  • risk assessment; water reuse
  • food safety governance
  • food safety regulations
  • water reuse

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 685 KB  
Article
Food Safety and Waste Management in TV Cooking Shows: A Comparative Study of Turkey and the UK
by Kemal Enes, Gülbanu Kaptan and Edgar Meyer
Foods 2025, 14(15), 2591; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152591 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 638
Abstract
This study examines food safety and waste behaviours depicted in the televised cooking competition MasterChef, a globally franchised series that showcases diverse culinary traditions and influences viewers’ practices. The research focuses on the MasterChef editions aired in Turkey and the United Kingdom, [...] Read more.
This study examines food safety and waste behaviours depicted in the televised cooking competition MasterChef, a globally franchised series that showcases diverse culinary traditions and influences viewers’ practices. The research focuses on the MasterChef editions aired in Turkey and the United Kingdom, two countries with distinctly different social and cultural contexts. Video content analysis, based on predefined criteria, was employed to assess observable behaviours related to food safety and waste. Additionally, content analysis of episode transcripts identified verbal references to these themes. Principal Component Analysis was employed to categorise patterns in the observed behaviours. The findings revealed frequent lapses in food safety, with personal hygiene breaches more commonly observed in MasterChef UK, while cross-contamination issues were more prevalent in MasterChef Turkey. In both versions, the use of disposable materials and the discarding of edible food parts emerged as the most common waste-related practices. These behaviours appeared to be shaped by the cultural and culinary norms specific to each country. The study highlights the importance of cooking shows in promoting improved food safety and waste management practices. It recommends involving relevant experts during production and clearly communicating food safety and sustainability messages to increase viewer awareness and encourage positive behaviour change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Policy, Strategy and Safety in the Middle East)
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Review

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31 pages, 2536 KB  
Review
Transitioning from a Multi-Agency to an Integrated Food Control System: A Case Study from the Sultanate of Oman
by Moza Abdullah Al Busaidi, Mohammad Shafiur Rahman and Hussein Samh Al Masroori
Foods 2025, 14(15), 2618; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14152618 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 946
Abstract
Food safety regulations and their implementations are becoming increasingly complex due to various reasons such as diverse food sources, supply chain, processing technologies, distribution systems and environmental concerns. Additionally, it is crucial to address diversified consumers and their preferences. To address these multifaceted [...] Read more.
Food safety regulations and their implementations are becoming increasingly complex due to various reasons such as diverse food sources, supply chain, processing technologies, distribution systems and environmental concerns. Additionally, it is crucial to address diversified consumers and their preferences. To address these multifaceted challenges, adopting an integrated unified management system is essential. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progressive food safety governance in the Sultanate of Oman. The country is transitioning from a multi-agency to an integrated food control management system. This integrated approach can enhance the coordination between different government agencies and other stakeholders, avoid duplication, identify required resources and ensure optimum use of the resources. The progress can enhance efficiency and effectiveness in managing food safety in Oman. It addresses the issues of the food safety management system, explores the legislative frameworks, risk-based assessment and their enforcement, and creates public awareness and required research for continuous improvement in food safety. This integration approach is expected to continue strengthening food safety governance in the country. Finally, future challenges in achieving food safety are envisioned, including new food sources and technologies, applications of artificial intelligence, and new sensors for quick identification of risks in foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Policy, Strategy and Safety in the Middle East)
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