The Gambia component of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) has held a virtual training on food safety based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for inspection and certification technicians of conformity assessment institutions on 2nd and 3rd February 2022.
The training attracted participants from the Food Safety and Quality Authority (FSQA), The Gambia Standards Bureau (TGSB), and Plant Protection Services (PPS).
The HACCP system identifies specific hazards and measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus on prevention rather than relying mainly on end-product testing.
Funded by the European Union, the WACOMP-GM project is aiming to increase competitiveness in The Gambia through enhanced quality compliance along the onion value chain, thereby strengthening the country’s competitiveness and enhancing its integration into the regional and international trading systems.
The project is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United Purpose (UP) in The Gambia.
“WACOMP is committed to providing this support so that FSQA, TGSB and PPS staff will gain the required expertise in HACCP for effectively carrying out their work in inspection and auditing,” said Joseph Ndenn, WACOMP-GM National Technical Coordinator.
He commended the participants for their interest and commitment, enjoining them to effectively apply and share the knowledge gained.
The co-facilitator of the training, UNIDO international expert on Quality Infrastructure (QI), Prof. Dr. Adalberto Vieira, said the training addressed the HACCP system and the main pre-requisites associated with it (Good Hygienic Practices (GHP)/ Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), highlighting the importance of its implementation to allow access to new reference markets.
“A successful implementation of the HACCP System opens several opportunities in relation to the possibility of accessing new markets and also of giving more confidence to the final consumers/costumers regarding the fulfilment of the mandatory food safety requirements,” he noted.
Source: WACOMP
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