EAC set to harmonise Food Safety Measures with the rest of Africa
East African Community (EAC) is working on Harmonization of Food Safety Measures in Africa. The work to bring this to reality is set to beging on March 19 in Kigali in a regional workshop.
The workshop aims at harmonization of the food hygiene management through “Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) in Africa.
It mainly aims at facilitating the finalization of the technical details of the EAC food safety measures.
An agreement is also expected to be reached on how to implement the African Reference and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene in the EAC Partner States.
In addition it is expected that there will exchange of  ideas with the African Union Commission and other regional economic communities (ECOWAS, COMESA) in order to domesticate and apply the Reference and Guidelines for Harmonization of the Management of the Food Hygiene in Africa.
The East African Community is currently implementing its Food Security Action Plan (2011-2015) and preparing to implement the Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Protocol (SPS) that was approved by the EAC Council of Ministers and the Summit last year.
The SPS measures as prepared by EAC are in four volumes including: SPS Volume I: Phytosanitary measures and procedures for Plants; (ii) SPS Volume II: Zoosanitary measures and procedures for Mammals, Birds & Bees; (iii) SPS Volume III: Measures and procedures for Fish and Fisheries; and (iv) SPS Draft Harmonized Food Safety Measures.
Priority 3 of the Action Plan 2011-2013 concerns the improvement of the competitiveness and the diversification of African agriculture and industry, notably by strengthening African capacities in the area of rules, standards and quality control.
One of the key activities under the priority aims at enhancing the capacity of administrations, producers and exporters at all levels to meet the regulatory requirements of export markets within Africa and the EU and strengthen harmonization of SPS frameworks within Africa.
