UNIDO and Foundation FSSC support improvement of food safety in Ethiopia

UNIDO together with Foundation FSSC organized a training of trainers for food safety experts in Ethiopia. It addressed the key elements of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) with a focus on the hygienic production and processing of safe and quality moringa (M. Stenopetala and M. oleifera) products. This activity seeks to contribute to the work done with Moringa value chain producers’ cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and institutions supported by a project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) that UNIDO has been implementing in Ethiopia for the last 3 years aiming to improve rural livelihoods by supporting the development of the moringa value chain in Ethiopia.

The 5-day hybrid event, which included a field visit to observe first-hand the moringa supply chain and the potential application of the knowledge gained during the training, trained 22 participants from different institutions, government agencies, universities and food manufacturing companies. The participants are now ready to train local support institutes and selected cooperative members in the moringa supply chain to ensure that moringa products produced in the cooperatives meet food safety requirements.

Last year, UNIDO and Foundation FSSC signed a strategic partnership to promote food safety from farm to fork. Thanks to the contribution of FSSC, UNIDO will continue to provide training activities, equipment and tools needed to reduce the socio-economic impact of foodborne diseases in different low and middle-income countries. FSSC, which is a non-profit Foundation, will continue to donate funds and provide knowledge resources to support Food Safety capacity building for local production and consumption in those countries. Giving back is a key element to achieving FSSC’s vision for creating a better world and the partnership with UNIDO forms an integral part of FSSC’s giving-back strategy.

For more information contact Ali Badarneh (A.Badarneh [at] unido.org (A[dot]Badarneh[at]unido[dot]org)) and Laura Natalia Fernández (L.Fernandez-Cedi [at] unido.org (L[dot]Fernandez-Cedi[at]unido[dot]org))