Amman, Sept. 23 (Petra) -- The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) has launched an awareness campaign across the Kingdom to help home-based food businesses understand licensing procedures and meet food safety and quality standards.
The campaign will roll out through a series of activities in different governorates, focusing on simplifying regulatory requirements, identifying challenges facing home food producers and improving compliance with health and food safety standards.
JFDA Director General Rana Obeidat said the initiative reflects the administration's broader role in supporting safe food production through education and guidance alongside regulatory oversight.
She said clearer guidance on licensing and food safety can help home-based producers improve the safety and quality of their products, strengthen consumer confidence and develop their activities into sustainable businesses.
Obeidat spoke at the launch of the "My Kitchen is Licensed, My Food is Safe" workshop, which brought together women operating home-based food businesses and included an exhibition of products made by women from local communities.
She said home food businesses offer women an avenue to turn practical skills into income-generating enterprises, supporting their families while contributing to local economic and community activity.
The JFDA, she added, will continue working with local communities to improve compliance with food safety requirements, protect consumers and help producers raise product standards.
Obeidat highlighted the experience of women who have successfully established licensed home food businesses, saying such ventures demonstrate the potential for small-scale production to develop into viable and sustainable enterprises.
Jordanian Women's Union President Jalila Smadi said women's associations have become an important support network for women seeking to develop and market their products and move beyond limited household production toward more structured businesses.
She said compliance with licensing procedures, health standards and applicable regulations is essential to the sustainability of these ventures, pointing to the importance of JFDA technical guidance in helping business owners understand their obligations.
The workshop included practical sessions on regulations governing food preparation and processing at home, as well as the Greater Amman Municipality's role in supporting women's economic participation.
Other sessions addressed food safety across agricultural value chains, the safe use of food packaging materials and nutrition for people with celiac disease, alongside contributions from specialists and relevant initiatives.
//Petra// RZ
