Food safety is a significant requirement to increasing the competitiveness of food businesses, expanding trade opportunities and mitigating the harsh health consequences of unsafe food. Illness due to unsafe or contaminated food is the most widespread global health problem and a key limitation to socioeconomic development. Each year, contaminated or unsafe food causes 600 million cases of illness and 420,000 deaths worldwide. The highest burden of foodborne disease is reported in Africa. Interest in food safety is growing, with recent crackdowns on aflatoxin contamination and the heightened awareness of hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP) kicked off the 2022 series of sector-wide trainings (SWT) with a focus on food safety for food processors in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The two day trainings, split into different cohorts, attract over 150 participants from a range of food companies, both large and small. The training ends in a graduation ceremony that offers a recap and next steps from the training, together with a graduation certificate for those who complete the full training.

SWT Kenya participant testimonials

“The training was enriching, food safety and food hygiene are crucial in preventing contamination that could lead to hazards and cause harmful effects on our customers and, moreover, could lead to the closure of our business.” — Pauline Okubaso, CEO of Azaavi Foods.

“The training was extremely educational, I’ve learnt so much. One aspect that stood out to me was the aspect of food labeling, it’s not just for customers but also labeling of the equipment, materials and everything we use in the warehouse. And also, the proper way to handle raw materials, from the receiving stage up to the point it leaves for distributions. So many hazards can occur during the various steps.” — Susan Muthoni, founder of Go! Granola Foods.