At a half-day workshop organized by Enterprise Partners in collaboration with LOCAL FRUIT on Food Quality standards at Saphire Addis Hotel Friday May 17, 2019, it was indicated that among eight fruit and vegetable growers list, seven farms praised for fulfilling most of the food safety requirements are EHPEA members.
Some actors in the industry on food quality standards for safety, food processing companies, exporters of food items and membership associations were present at the workshop. The speaker, Marijke Elshof, has over 15 years of hands-on experience in the EU market on quality standards requirements and evolution. She made brief presentation on the international market quality standards based on EU-Market and in the context of her grasp with the existing quality standards in Ethiopia.
The presenter made brief explanation on the International Market Standards, Global Food Safety Initiative (http:wygfsi.com), British Consortium, Global Standard for Food Safety, International Featured Standards, Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO), etc.
She also described the steps and principles that should be followed to maintain the food safety and quality standard and acquired international certificates.
She highlighted that there are only eight exporting companies in Ethiopia who got international food safety standard certificate and suggested that more companies should be certified. She finaly mentioned that her company would like to provide technical advice and ISO 22000: 2018 Standards and ISO 22002 1:2019 standard and checklist and additional requirement for FSSC 22000 and checklist for free.
The workshop touched upon related topics such as the requirements for Food Safety Certification 22000, Guidance on Food Defense, Guidance on Food Fraud Mitigation, Food Safety Management systems & requirements for any organization in the food chain as well as prerequisite programmes on food safety.
EHPEA staff members were among participants of the workshop.
