Industry hunger

If last holiday season Lebanon asked Santa Claus for better conditions in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, then recipients were surely disappointed by what was placed in their stockings – a mix of promises and future hopes. The year started off under duress for the food industry and agriculture producers with a food safety campaign by the Ministry of Public Health targeting establishments across the value chain. Producers of dairy were singled out, as were meat processors and butchers – at the level of consumption, restaurants and supermarkets were also subject to violations and, in certain cases, abrupt closures. By all accounts it was a necessary campaign to raise awareness of what the Lebanese are eating and had certain, if only anecdotal, impacts on public health. Consumer confidence plunged, according to both industry leaders and government officials, with the perception of Lebanese consumables in foreign markets also taking a hit