Training for Safer Food in Africa

14-18 June 2010, Lilongwe, Malawi. African food hygiene experts participated in a regional workshop on food hygiene inspection. The event has been organised by Better Training for Safer Food Africa (BTSF), a European Commission initiative to deliver technical and policy expertise on animal health and food safety. It is aimed at African public services, producers and small and medium sized enterprises. This initiative was intended to enable African producers to consistently supply products that comply with international standards, and open up access to more markets.

The workshop included a presentation on food safety management, along with a presentation of the rules for certification of establishments. Participants were also trained in the audit of food processing.

The Better Training for Safer Food Africa programme aims to train African specialists in 12 five-day workshops covering the five economic partnership agreement regions in Africa. In addition to opening up trade opportunities, training should help reduce the likelihood of consumers succumbing to food-borne diseases. This should have wider benefits for communities connected to food safety.

Representatives from the African Regional Economic Communities, Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Health Organisation, UNIDO and the European Commission attended the workshop. An agenda of the regional workshop on food hygiene inspection can be found here.