Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Institute for Quality and Intellectual Property Management (IGQPI) said this Thursday that the consumer cooperative of the resistant people of Planalto Norte, Porto Novo, Santo Antão, did not submit the formal request for product certification.
Regarding the news released by Inforpress that the cheese certification process is in a stagnation phase, IGQPI clarified that this cooperative even, in 2021, applied for the technical assistance program” launched by this institute, which was completed in mid-2022.
However, it did not submit the formal request for certification in good manufacturing practices (GMP) and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), informed the IGQPI.
In August 2021, within the scope of the WACOMP Cape Verde project (Competitiveness Program for West Africa), financed by the European Union and implemented by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) and UNDP (United Nations Program for Development), IGQPI, in conjunction with its technical partners, developed the GMP and HACCP certification pilot project.
He also led the technical assistance process at the cheese manufacturing units in Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santiago, Maio and Fogo and also in catering establishments and similar establishments on the islands of São Vicente and Santiago, through the hiring of external consultants, aiming to technical support to selected companies, to implement the required requirements and prepare for GMP and HACCP certification.
The Planalto Norte resistant cooperative, which includes cheese producers from that location, applied for the technical assistance program, but did not make a formal request for GMP and HACCP certification, explained the same source.
“At this moment, for cheese manufacturing units, the IGQPI is only in a position to provide GMP or HACCP certification and does not have a program that allows the certification of cheese as a product”, explains the IGQPI, according to which it does not proceed certification “when or for which the certification scheme has not been developed or there are no defined product, process and/or service requirements”.
Cheese producers from Planalto Norte recently regretted that the product certification process, which began in 2021, is currently in a stagnant phase, reporting that the cheese manufacturing unit in Chã de Feijoal has already been completed, which It was one of the requirements to achieve recognition.
“IGQPI only carries out certification when or for which the respective certification scheme has been developed or there are defined product, process and/or service requirements”, further explained this institution, which acts as a national certification body for products, processes and/or services.
He further explained that certification is supported by requirements directly related to the product, process and/or service and which are normally specified in normative documents, such as standards, regulations and technical specifications.
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