By Ms Sylvia Kirabo, Head of Public Relations and Marketing for UNBS and Hakim B. Mufumbiro, Regional Coordinator CCAFRICA

Policy and decision makers on food safety and Codex activities of the East African Community (EAC) held a meeting on 1 September, hosted by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), which also serves as the national Codex Contact Point in Uganda, resolving to implement 11 actions to improve food safety control and Codex related systems in the region. The high-level participants from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda also adopted four policy briefs providing recommendations on mitigating the impact of current food safety issues.

These five countries are participating in a FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund group project under the EAC Codex Forum. Together with representatives from the EAC Secretariat, FAO Country Offices and TradeMark Africa, they called for the following actions:

1. Improved engagement of EAC Partner States in regional and international standard-setting bodies to effectively contribute to the development of food safety standards.
2. Increased investment in food safety and Codex, including capacity building for value chain actors, to manage risks and ensure compliance with food standards.
3. Enhanced foodborne disease surveillance and monitoring by improving laboratory capacity, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
4. Promotion of research on food safety focused on developing new technologies, methodologies, and best practices to enhance food safety management systems and mitigate foodborne risks.
5. Support for the implementation of regional and national food safety policies, frameworks, and strategies.
6. Strengthening regulatory mechanisms by developing and enforcing robust food safety policies, regulations, and standards to enhance regulatory mechanisms.
7. Fostering national and regional coordination and collaboration among Partner States to enhance food safety practices, facilitate trade, and establish partnerships and knowledge-sharing networks.
8. Encouraging strong partnerships between the public and private sectors to promote knowledge transfer, technology adoption, and joint initiatives in food safety throughout the value chain.
9. Encouraging adoption and adaption of the international frameworks and best practices at the national and regional level to foster a coordinated approach in implementing SPS measures as defined under the WTO SPS agreement.
10. Devising practical strategies to undertake awareness and education of the public and stakeholders along the food value chain on food safety and Codex matters.
11. Promoting adoption of appropriate technology and innovation to enhance food safety tracking and data analysis.

Furthermore, the meeting called for the implementation of recommendations presented in the four policy briefs. These cover various aspects of food safety and Codex systems in the EAC region. including a general perspective on food safety and the Codex situation in the EAC, the impact of pesticides and veterinary drugs in food, the use of food additives, and a focus on food contaminants.

During the meeting, Hon. Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, Uganda's Minister of Health and guest of honour at the meeting, emphasized the need for harmonization of regulatory mechanisms ensuring safe food for consumers and smooth trade flow in the EAC region. Hon. Francis Mwebesa, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives for Uganda, pledged government commitment to investing in quality standards and infrastructure like food safety laboratories to ensure accessibility and availability of safe food in Uganda and for exports to the region.

Ms Stella Apolot, the Principal Standards Officer of the EAC Secretariat, appreciated the efforts put in place to strengthen food safety in the region but noted that aflatoxin levels still pose a food safety challenge. She called for a lasting solution to address this issue.

On behalf of Uganda, the current Regional Coordinators for Codex activities in Africa, Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama, the UNBS Ag. Executive Director, committed to continued engagement of Members in the EAC region through designing and delivering capacity-building activities in collaboration with FAO, WHO, and the Codex Secretariat. This commitment aims to ensure that EAC Partner States effectively participate and contribute to food safety and the Codex process.

Dr Blaise Ouattara, Food Safety and Quality Officer at the FAO Regional Office for Africa, presented the food safety and quality situation in Africa. He emphasized the different technical and capacity development support provided to Members by both FAO and WHO to improve food safety and Codex systems in the region.

Statistics presented by Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO Country Representative to Uganda, also speaking on behalf of the FAO Country Office in Uganda, indicates that unsafe food kills an estimated 420 000 people annually, yet these deaths are preventable. In his intervention, he also highlighted that safe food allows for suitable nutrient intake and contributes to a healthy life.

 © Photo credit UNBS/Ms. Sylvia Kirabo