News, Events – Page 2 – African Food Safety Network (AFoSaN)

Women in Science Scoop Awards At the International Food Safety Symposium (May, 2024)

Nadia Ziyate Receives a Memorable Mention Award

Mariama Gagara Hima Scoops a Poster Award

Nadia, is the Head of Microbiology Section at the National Office of Food Safety in Morocco. Her research focused on the antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella from poultry samples in Morocco. The research objective was to understand the antimicrobial susceptibility o salmonella spp in various poultry meats from slaughter houses and traditional markets in Rabat-Sale-Kentira, region, Morocco Read More

Mariama, is an Agro-Food Engineer and a PhD candidate in Microbiology and Food Technology. She is a quality Control Director at the Central Livestock Laboratory (LABOCEL) in Niger. Her research was focused on the hygienic quality of milk in the Liptako Gourma region Niger and the associated risk factors.Read More

Network members participate in a research project on biotoxins and microbiological testing; Vienna, Austria, 3-6 October 2023

Scientists from Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda participating in a 5-year research project aiming at developing and implementing methods to support food safety and related laboratories as well as control programmes in the early, rapid, reliable detection and/or characterization of Read More

Network members participate in research technical meeting in North Macedonia, 21-26 August 2023

Network members in Burkina Faso and Uganda involved in an ongoing research project relevant to Codex-standards-setting attended a technical meeting to discuss study fundings and plans in Ohrid, North Macedonia. The work involves depletion of veterinary drugs in food animals.Read More

Regional meeting on SPS in Ghana

In Feb 2024, the 2nd coordination meeting of the regional food safety regulatory convergence and network was held in Accra, Ghana. The main objective is to share and exchange information, track implementation of previously agreed actions and consider capacity building initiatives on SPS issues of interest to the ECOWAS and Sahel regions. Fifteen (15) member states

Strengthening Mozambique’s food safety laboratories (Feb 2024)

Four scientists in IIAM’s organic chemistry laboratory received training in the radio receptor assay instrument, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other instruments, to facilitate the testing of chemical residues and contaminants in food. The laboratory staff faced challenges with detecting certain analytes such as the veterinary drugs sulfamethazine and tetracycline among others on the HPLC. Four INIP laboratory staff were trained on the principles and use of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS). Additional gaps were identified, and further support is underway.Read More

A boost for Madagascar’s food safety laboratories (Jan 2024)

In January 2024, the INSTN and LNDV, Madagascar received a technical boost to their laboratory capabilities during an expert mission undertaken to the country. Staff at LNDV received further training in the use radioreceptor assay technique for veterinary drug residues. Read More

Namibia and Senegal share their experience in veterinary drug residues with Zambia (Nov 2023)

In the week of 20- 24 November 2023, two scientists from LACOMEV, Senegal and CVL, Namibia supported a national training workshop in Zambia led by the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) who were joined by others from the Food and Drug Laboratory Read More

Building Capacity for Food Microbiology Testing in Namibia (Oct 2023)

In October 2023, the Namibia Standards Institute (NSI) and Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources benefited from training in Walvis Bay, to enhance their capability to conduct food microbiology testing, particularly in molecular biology. The training introduced molecular Read More

Building Capacity in Sampling and Toxicological Testing/Investigations in Seychelles (Aug 2023)

In the week of 7-11 August 2023 the Government Analytical Laboratory in Uganda trained a number of scientists and stakeholders at the Seychelles Public Health Laboratory on investigating suspected cases of poisoning or intoxication due to chemical or related Read More

Training enhances sampling and testing of chemical hazards at the Rwanda Standards Board (April-September 2023)

A 10-day training on elemental analysis was conducted at the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) on from 28 August to 8 September 2023. The purpose was to support analysis of toxic metals in food and related matrices. Six scientists of the inorganic laboratory benefited from the training Read More

Food safety institutions in Ivory Coast working to improve their capabilities (June 2023)

In June 2023 three sister institutions in Cote D’Ivoire: Laboratoire National D’essais De Qualites De Metrologie Et D’analyses (LANEMA); Laboratoire National d’Appui au Développement Agricole (LANADA) and Laboratoire National De La Sante Publique (LNSP) benefited from on-site Read More

Zambian scientists enhance analytical skills in mycotoxin analysis (June 2023)

During the week of 26–30 June 2023, nine scientists from six institutions in Zambia including the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) and Zambia Bureau of Standards enhanced their knowledge in mycotoxins sampling and analysis. This was held in Read More

Seychelles shares experiences with Zambian colleagues (Nov-Dec 2023)

The Seychelles Public Health Laboratory had continued to build its testing capabilities over the years and although there is still a way to go, they can now share these capabilities with others. One of these areas is the establishment of a UHPLC-MS/MS (Evoq-Bruker) system Read More

National training to strengthen food microbiology testing and AMR initiatives in Botswana

With support of a microbiology expert from Makerere University in Uganda, Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory (BNVL) hosted a training workshop (10th – 21st October 2022) on microbial hazards. This was attended by 20 participants from the following 7 institutions: the BNVL; Botswana Bureau of Standards; Lobatse Abattoir; National Read More

Mozambique’s National Agricultural Health and Biosafety Directorate benchmarks KEPHIS operations

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mozambique plans to create an animal and plant health and biosecurity authority/entity. It is therefore imperative that its staff get an opportunity to see how established institutions elsewhere operate. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and Centre of Phytosanitary Excellence (COPE) was Read More

therefore a place to visit for 2 senior personnel of the National Directorate of Animal and Plant Health and Biosafety 4-15 July 2022. The programme included among others: Introduction to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and accreditation scope of analytical chemistry laboratory, quality assurance manual and QA/QC; Sample reception procedure and coding, client contract review; sample registration (registers) and allocation of samples (worksheet), sample preparation procedure, registration of processed samples and sample retention and storage conditions. The visitors also got exposure to: Standard preparation procedures, preparation of reference standards (primary, stock and working), labelling and storage of reference standards; sample weighing, extraction/digestion, clean up, spiking for recoveries and use of internal standards, dilutions and sample packaging for Instrumental determination

They were then introduced to the phytosanitary division, including overall management and operations of the division as well as human and infrastructural resource management – Presentation on plant inspection tests conducted at ports of entry (border points). The visited the KEPHIS Head Quarters for a presentation on connection between the reference laboratory and regional/provincial laboratories, seed testing on plant health. They then had the opportunity to observe and appreciate the activities of the Plant quarantine and Biosecurity station (PQBS) at KEPHIS

COPE c/o KEPHIS was officially launched in October 2010 and since then has trained over 3,000 stakeholders from Kenya and beyond. COPE was established with the rationale that African countries lack effective systems for managing phytosanitary measures at the national level and also lack good regional co-ordination of the implementation of the International Plant Protection Convention – International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs); hence the need to build phytosanitary capacity of African countries from existing strengths within National Plant Protection Organizations like KEPHIS. Efforts have been made by COPE to meet aspirations for training on phytosanitary issues, produce quality standards and PRAs & pest listing for a number of crops. KEPHIS through Centre for Phytosanitary Excellence (COPE) have a training manual and are currently undertaking the training not only in Kenya but in East and Central Africa.

Niger taps into Morocco’s experience in food and feed safety testing

Six scientists from the Institut national de la recherche agronomique du Niger (INRAN) were trained at ONSSA on a wide range of topics including microbiology for the dairy industry; and mycotoxin testing in feed and their inputs. On microbiology, focus was on the analysis of microbiological hazards in milk and milk products using screening and Read More

Seychelles and Bornova Veterinary Control Institute in Turkiye collaborate to improve food safety testing in Seychelles

The Bornova Veterinary Control Institute is a close partner of the network as it provides training to a number of food safety laboratory scientists from various countries. Some past beneficiaries include Botswana, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda among others. Recently four scientists from Seychelles (three from the public health laboratory and one from the Bureau of standards). Read More

ONSSA Rabat and Tanger combine to support development of food safety testing in Djibouti

The Division of Pharmacy and Veterinary Inputs at ONSSA in Rabat and the Regional Laboratory for Analysis and Research in Tanger (LRART) are providing food safety training to a scientist from the Centre d’etude et de recherche de Djibouti from 19 December 2022 to 27 Jan 2023 Read More

Namibia supports Madagascar scientists in elemental analysis

Between 31 October 2022- 18 November 2022, the Namibian Standard Institution – Testing and Inspection Centre provided training to a scientist from the Institut national des sciences et techniques nucleaires (INSTN), Madagascar in elemental analysis using tools including the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) – Graphite Furnace after microwave Read More

Network members share knowledge and experience on inter laboratory comparisons; looking to enhance the process of accreditation

Fifty nine network members converged in Harare, Zimbabwe in September (5-7 2022) to share their experiences in inter laboratory studies that enhance competence in food safety testing laboratories. Many of these were laboratory personnel and quality managers from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Read More

Botswana trains Burundian scientists

The Burundi Bureau of Standards and the National Centre of Food Technology continue to strengthen their capabilities for food safety testing in order to better-safeguard consumers and support trade where possible. Its staff network with countries such as Uganda, Morocco, Kenya and Botswana among others. The Residue and Diary Hygiene Sections at the Read More

Morocco is strengthening AMR Surveillance programme

Ten staff members of the Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires (ONSSA) benefited 07 – 11 November 2022 from a training on antimicrobial resistance surveillance. This included theoretical presentations on antibiotic resistance, the epidemiology of its worldwide spread, its consequences for public health and animal health. Surveillance Read More

ONSSA Morocco trains Rwanda food safety scientists

Two network members from ONSSA undertook a mission to Rwanda to provide staff of the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) with training an experience in testing and monitoring residues of veterinary drugs in food. This included guiding RSB and sister institutions on practical drafting of monitoring plan (s) for veterinary drug residues tailored for Rwanda; Read More

Network members join research on detection and investigation of biological toxins and food pathogens

Research scientists from the Office National de Security Sanitaire de Produits Alimentaires in Morocco; Soroti University in Uganda; Centre National des Sciences et Technologies Nucleares in Tunisia as well as the University of South Africa, recently joined an international coordinated research project on detection and investigation of biotoxins and pathogens Read More

Morocco trains food safety officers from Madagascar

Two staff of the Laboratoire National de Diagnostic Vétérinaire in Madagascar recently trained at ONSSA. The laboratory’s quality system was presented; the principle of HPLC operation demonstrated and a procedure for screening of residues of veterinary drugs by a techniques including radio receptor assay as well as qualification HPLC performed. Read More

Lesotho working towards improving food safety testing capabilities

A number of institutions in Lesotho are tasked with ensuring the safety of food and protecting consumers from chemical as well as biological hazards. These include, among others, the Director of Livestock Services of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; Ministry of Trade and Industry Read More

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