Food safety a critical matter to the region – EAC Official

The region should consider food safety critical matter because food and nutritional security are the foundations of a decent life, a sound education and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, an EAC official has said.

The EAC Senior Livestock Officer Timothy Wesonga made the point when addressing food experts at the four-day EAC Regional Workshop on Harmonization of Food Safety Measures in Africa which is taking place in Kigali.

Representing the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Hon. Jesca Eriyo, Wesonga noted that food safety is vital for protecting human health and trade.

He informed food experts that the initiative on food safety is aimed at ensuring safe and nutritious quality food that will contribute to reducing food insecurity in the region and enable EAC products access international markets in tandem with the EAC Food Security Action Plan and the EAC Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Strategy.

“The EAC is currently implementing its Food Security Action Plan (2011-15) and one of the priority areas is to improve the sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures along the food value chains,” said Wesonga.

“We believe therefore that the regional food safety measures being developed will play a leading role in ensuring improved safety food in the region.”

The Partner States in Articles 108 and 118 of the EAC Treaty have committed to co-operate in the health, social and cultural fields and, in particular, in the fields of human and animal medicines, as well as food and feed safety.

The workshop is a follow-up on the first workshop of food experts in Nairobi, Kenya held January this year.

The focus of the second workshop is to improve the food safety document and ensure that all areas covered are in line with the EAC Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary (SPS) Protocol.