The inkling that food safety is only observed at the production level is an illusion. Food safety is ensured when the food gets to the final consumer, passing through the food value chain safely. To put stringent measures to ensure food safety, HortFresh in consultation with the public and private actors in the food and safety certification sector have an Inaugurated Food safety Task Force in Accra.
The Food Safety Taskforce is a new body of Ghanaian stakeholders active in the fruit and vegetable sector that deals with food safety. The food safety task force is to develop strategies and activities to address current and emerging food safety and certification challenges in the horticultural sector.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Abdulai Abdul Rahaman, the Policy Officer in charge of Agribusiness at the Netherlands Embassy said that the task force will push the agenda for food safety and improve consumer confidence.
He expressed his appreciation for the initiative to all stakeholders gathered at the inauguration and challenged them to make the horticulture sector more attractive to attract the youth for employment.
In a statement read by a representative of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture noted that the task force would be used to facilitate the work of the mandated institutions in finding solutions to challenges facing the fruit and vegetable industry and the concerns of the consuming public.
“To ensure the consuming public of the safety of the food they consume, major actors in the food value chain have taken measures such as the stringent production, import and export requirements and regulations we see today, traceability systems; voluntary certification systems among others sustain their industries”, the rep added.
The Ministry commended HortiFresh and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their continuous support to the horticulture and the agriculture sector in general in Ghana.
During the event, the Programme Manager of Hortifresh, Mrs. Sheila Assibey-Yeboah mentioned that HortiFresh would play a facilitatory role to support the activities of the task force.
She highlighted the objective of the task force which includes reviewing the food safety situation in the country and promote both international and domestic standards of fruits and vegetables. She added that the task force will coordinate campaigns and consumer education on food safety, as well as support the enforcement of the food safety standards that exist in the country.
Speaking to Agric Today, Mrs. Assibey-Yeboah hinted that although there is a brilliant policy framework, implementation has gaps and this has given the producers the opportunity to do what they want because there is no spotlight to regulate their activities and it affects the kind of food that is produced. The task given to this task force is to consolidate effort, put brains together to see how the individual agencies like Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others can be supported in implementing what has been mandated for them and serve as a central coordinating unit to ensure that good practices are done.
Madam Faustina from Food and Drug Authority (FDA) asserted that FDA foods locally imported or exported comply with national standards for safety and quality. She said the Authority ensures that practices such as handling, storage, processing, package or retailing of foods are carried out in accordance with regulatory Guidelines and Codes of practice to protect public health and safety.
The Taskforce is made up of various stakeholders from research and knowledge institutions, exporter associations, processors and retailers of fruits and vegetables, regulatory authorities and agencies, development partners and agro-input dealers.
