FAO and Ghana’s Veterinary Services Launch Training to Strengthen Meat Inspection Standards
A three-day training for veterinary meat inspectors aims to boost food safety, enhance zoonotic disease detection, and promote compliance with Ghana’s Meat Inspection Regulation
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), in collaboration with Ghana's Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), has launched a three-day training program, from 18 to 20 December 2024, to enhance the technical capacity of veterinary meat inspectors. This initiative aims to improve food safety, protect consumer health, and ensure compliance with the country’s Meat Inspection Regulation (LI 2405 of 2020).
The workshop brought together 50 veterinary meat inspectors and eight FAO staff. The training will be conducted in two phases, with the second session scheduled for Kumasi in January 2025. It addresses key knowledge gaps in risk-based meat inspection and practical slaughterhouse procedures.
"Ensuring the safety of meat products is essential for public health and market confidence," said Blaise Ouattara, Food Safety and Quality Officer at the Regional Office for Africa. “By strengthening the skills of veterinary meat inspectors, we are enhancing Ghana's capacity to reduce foodborne risks and better safeguard the health of its population.”
The workshop responds to challenges identified in Ghana’s meat sector, including limited infrastructure, weak enforcement of food safety regulations, and a shortage of skilled personnel due to retirements and new hires. The training is designed to refresh and upgrade the skills of experienced meat inspectors while providing foundational knowledge to newly recruited personnel.
By the end of the training, inspectors will be equipped to enforce food safety standards, identify pathological lesions, and promote best practices in slaughterhouse management.
National authorities have also emphasized the initiative's importance. Emmanuel Eshun, Head of General Services, speaking at the training on behalf of the Chief Veterinary Officer at the VSD, remarked, “This training reaffirms our commitment to improving meat safety and hygiene in Ghana. Through our partnership with FAO, we empower inspectors to ensure that meat products meet the highest safety standards, from farm to fork.”
Promoting Agrifood Systems and Reducing Zoonotic Risks
The meat inspection process is critical in preventing zoonotic diseases — those that spread from animals to humans — from entering the food chain. Improper inspection and poor hygienic practices at slaughter facilities can contaminate meat with zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Brucella.
The training in Koforidua is part of a larger effort by FAO and Ghana's VSD to address capacity gaps and promote food safety. The second training session will be held in Kumasi in January 2025, providing further opportunities to upskill inspectors across Ghana’s slaughter facilities.
These efforts align with Ghana's national goals for food safety and the global priorities outlined in the FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Alimentarius guidelines for food safety. Through continuous training, FAO ECTAD with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports Ghana to reduce foodborne disease risks, strengthen consumer protection, and increase market confidence in the country’s meat products.