NSI, FAO collaborate to ensure food safety
Protecting consumers
The collaborative project seeks to address significant gaps in Namibia's current food safety system, particularly in the inspection of fishery and canned meat products.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) launched a collaborative project on Tuesday aimed at strengthening import inspection controls for fishery products and canned meat.
NSI general manager for testing and inspection, Paloma Ellitson, explained that it is the first FAO-NSI technical cooperation project and marks a significant step forward in Namibia's pursuit of excellence in quality infrastructure.
"Through this project, we aim to build institutional capacity and ensure proper control mechanisms for the import inspection of fishery products and canned meat. This will protect consumers, facilitate fair practices in food trade, and avoid unjustified technical barriers to trade,” Ellitson said.
FAO representative in Namibia, Dr Qingyun Diao, said the project will be implemented through the technical cooperation programme of the FAO.
“This project seeks to address significant gaps in our current food safety system, particularly in the inspection of fishery and canned meat products. For years, the NSI has been the custodian of ensuring quality and safety standards, but the increasing volume and complexity of global trade demand even more robust import control mechanisms. These complexities have posed challenges for NSI in ensuring full compliance with national regulations for the imports and exports of these products, thereby putting consumer health and market access at risk.”
Protect consumers
With an investment of N$1.3 million and technical support from FAO to enhance NSI’s capacity, the project is set to establish an effective, efficient and internationally aligned import inspection control system.
“This will not only protect consumers but also enhance the credibility of Namibian products on the global stage. By developing inspection protocols, training NSI inspectors, and conducting awareness sessions for stakeholders, FAO and NSI seek to create a safer and more secure food system,” she added.
NSI CEO Dr Eino Mvula, who officially launched the project, explained that it will focus on developing and implementing a robust import inspection system to address existing gaps in traceability and ensure compliance with national standards.
“Our nation is currently facing significant challenges regarding the importation and control of fishery products and canned meats. The existing regulatory frameworks are not sufficient to ensure that all imported goods adhere to the safety, quality, and traceability standards we set for our local products. This puts our consumers at risk and compromises our market’s integrity,” he explained.
NSI general manager for testing and inspection, Paloma Ellitson, explained that it is the first FAO-NSI technical cooperation project and marks a significant step forward in Namibia's pursuit of excellence in quality infrastructure.
"Through this project, we aim to build institutional capacity and ensure proper control mechanisms for the import inspection of fishery products and canned meat. This will protect consumers, facilitate fair practices in food trade, and avoid unjustified technical barriers to trade,” Ellitson said.
FAO representative in Namibia, Dr Qingyun Diao, said the project will be implemented through the technical cooperation programme of the FAO.
“This project seeks to address significant gaps in our current food safety system, particularly in the inspection of fishery and canned meat products. For years, the NSI has been the custodian of ensuring quality and safety standards, but the increasing volume and complexity of global trade demand even more robust import control mechanisms. These complexities have posed challenges for NSI in ensuring full compliance with national regulations for the imports and exports of these products, thereby putting consumer health and market access at risk.”
Protect consumers
With an investment of N$1.3 million and technical support from FAO to enhance NSI’s capacity, the project is set to establish an effective, efficient and internationally aligned import inspection control system.
“This will not only protect consumers but also enhance the credibility of Namibian products on the global stage. By developing inspection protocols, training NSI inspectors, and conducting awareness sessions for stakeholders, FAO and NSI seek to create a safer and more secure food system,” she added.
NSI CEO Dr Eino Mvula, who officially launched the project, explained that it will focus on developing and implementing a robust import inspection system to address existing gaps in traceability and ensure compliance with national standards.
“Our nation is currently facing significant challenges regarding the importation and control of fishery products and canned meats. The existing regulatory frameworks are not sufficient to ensure that all imported goods adhere to the safety, quality, and traceability standards we set for our local products. This puts our consumers at risk and compromises our market’s integrity,” he explained.
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