FAO partners with govt to strengthen food safety standards

MOROGORO: THE government in collaboration with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched a project aimed at strengthening food safety standards and enhancing the capacity of food safety laboratories to boost trade and improve public health across East African countries.

FAO Project Coordinator Diomedes Kalisa made the announcement in Morogoro over the weekend, during the closing ceremony of a training workshop for experts on the use of the Food Control System Assessment Tool. The training was organised by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The workshop brought together 28 experts from various government institutions, including the Government Chemist Laboratory Authority, Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Zanzibar Bureau of Standards (ZBS), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and food laboratories in Mwanza that deal with fish testing, as well as the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC).

“The technical teams have enhanced their capacity to use the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, a globally recognised framework that helps countries assess the performance of their food control systems, identify strengths and gaps and design reforms to ensure the safety and quality of food from production to consumption,” Kalisa said.

He noted that the project, which started in 2025 and runs through 2026, is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and FAO. It is being implemented in five East African countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania.

“I particularly commend the focal persons nominated by the authorities for their strong engagement and commitment. Nominees, you now carry the responsibility of collecting accurate, evidencebased data that will underpin the assessment of Tanzania’s national food control system. The credibility of this exercise rests on the integrity and precision of the information you provide,” Kalisa said.

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Kalisa said that the project’s main objective is to ensure that food safety is not only about availability, but also about ensuring that food produced, consumed, imported or exported is safe for human consumption.

“The goal is to determine whether any harmful substances exist in the food supply and to assess the national food safety systems to see how they measure up to international standards,” he added.

He said the project aims to ensure that food traded within the region and beyond, is safe and meets global standards, giving confidence to trading partners.

“Anyone importing food from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda or South Sudan should be confident that the food is safe for human consumption,” Kalisa noted.

The project will also assess imported food from outside East Africa to ensure domestic food safety systems are aligned with international benchmarks.

“These experts will use tools jointly developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and FAO, which are applied globally to ensure food quality, helping Tanzania maintain its reputation in international markets,” Kalisa said.

For her part, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dr Hashil Abdallah, whose speech was read on her behalf by Assistant Director for Small Industries and Trade Development in the ministry, Constansia Akaro said Tanzania has made significant progress in strengthening food safety systems.

“We recognise that food safety is vital for public health and for facilitating trade. This project will have far-reaching economic and social benefits for our country,” she said.

She added that the initiative aims to ensure citizens access safe and nutritious food while preparing the agro-processing industry to meet both domestic and international market demands.

“Under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the ministry has ensured that food products meet required safety standards, are fit for trade and that unsafe products are swiftly removed from the market to protect public health,” she stressed.

She thanked the African Development Bank and FAO for funding the crucial initiative and urged participating experts to apply the knowledge and tools effectively to strengthen food safety governance in Tanzania.