House approves establishment of national food safety authority

The House of Representatives voted yesterday in favor of a bill that will see the establishment of a national food safety authority to monitor products in the market and ensure their compliance with set health and safety standards. According to Ahram Gate, the authority will report directly to the presidency. The head of the new authority will have the power to suspend licenses, shut down facilities and return imported products if they fail inspection. Business owners will be allowed to appeal decisions to a grievance committees.