Kenya: Digital collective training on Food Safety Quality Management System

COLEACP organised a remote training course on “Food Safety Quality Management System” for partner companies of the NExT Kenya programme from 26 July to 27 August 2021. The target audience for this four-week digital training included technical staff (quality managers, packhouse managers and internal auditors) in charge of compliance within horticultural production companies and producer groups. The training was directed toward staff in exporters’ associations that assist their member companies with the implementation of food safety standards.

At the end of the training sessions, participants are expected to have achieved the following specific objectives:

• understand and explain the importance of food safety management and its relevance;
• know the principles of food safety management (regulatory requirements, standards, quality manual redaction, documentary management, regulatory monitoring, etc.);
• understand and apply good hygiene practices (hygiene throughout the sector, packhouse organisation, self-assessment principles, etc.);
• understand and apply the principles of traceability (objectives and elements of a traceability system, tools, practical implementation, etc.);
• describe the advantages of implementing a food safety management system in participants’ own marketing and production context.
• list the main elements of a food safety quality management system (regulatory requirements, standards, quality manual redaction, documentary management, regulatory monitoring, etc.);
• list the main food safety quality management standards used in horticulture, their scope, and the markets that require these standards; and
• list the main building blocks of a functional food safety quality management system (internal versus external audit, training, quality manual, equipment, hygiene, crop protection traceability, etc.).

A group of 21 trainees participated in the course. The participants were drawn from 11 Kenyan horticultural MSMEs: Mofarm Ltd, Kenya Horticultural Exporters (KHE), Marja General Co Ltd, Jani Fresh, Instaveg, Athi Farms Exporters, Flamingo, Association of Kenya Mango Traders, Suera Ltd, Equatorial Hortifresh Ltd and Markgrown Enterprises.

This activity is implemented by COLEACP and supported by the NExT Kenya (New Export Trade) programme, established in collaboration with the EU Delegation in Nairobi and Kenyan stakeholders.