Strengthening food safety while building on local expertise – the example of NSUNGA YA KONGO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In brief

• Through the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD supported NSUNGA YA KONGO (Democratic Republic of Congo) in implementing Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).
• The mission was carried out by a local Congolese expert: assessing practices, strengthening teams, identifying areas for improvement.
• Strengths noted: strong management commitment, motivated teams, internal technical capacities.
• Challenges identified: no dedicated hygiene and quality manager, limited knowledge of GHP requirements, need for further training.
• Recommendations: staff training, regular monitoring of hygiene practices, suitable technical tools.

A mission led by a local Congolese expert

Through the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, COLEAD supported NSUNGA YA KONGO with a technical assistance mission focused on Good Hygiene Practices. Carried out by a local Congolese expert, it aimed to assess how far GHP were being applied, strengthen staff capacities and identify the improvements needed to enhance food safety management.

What the assessment showed

The technical assistance combined discussions with the management team, document reviews and assessments of existing practices. It made it possible to analyse internal procedures and the staff’s ability to apply hygiene and quality principles in production, processing and stakeholder support. The mission highlighted several positive aspects — strong management commitment, motivated teams and internal technical capacities — alongside a number of challenges: the absence of a dedicated hygiene and quality manager, limited knowledge of GHP requirements, and the need for further capacity building.

Practical recommendations

To strengthen the organisation’s hygiene and food safety management system, several recommendations were made: further staff training, regular monitoring of hygiene practices, and the development of appropriate technical tools and resources.

Local expertise at the heart of the approach

By drawing on Congolese expertise, this mission reflects COLEAD’s commitment, through the FFM+ programme, to strengthening in-country capacities while supporting agricultural and agri-food organisations in developing safer, more structured and more sustainable production systems.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.