Tabora Bojang<\/b><\/p>\n
Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The Food Safety and Quality Authority has acquired a new laboratory material which it believes would significantly reduce the sending of suspected contaminated foods for inspection outside the country.<\/p>\n The laboratory material donated by the West Africa Competitiveness Programme funded by the EU and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation UNIDO were handed over to the Authority\u2019s principal food inspector Bakanding Fofana at WACOMP\u2019s office in Sukuta during the weekend.<\/p>\n Speaking to The Standard shortly after receiving the new laboratory tools, Mr Fofana said the safety of foods consumed in the country is of huge importance to the FSQA.<\/p>\n \u201cThis equipment will definitely help us to be able to monitor and identify hazards within a short period as compared to before when if we suspected certain items, we have to take samples and send them to an accredited laboratory outside the country and that comes with a cost to the Authority,\u201d Principal Inspector Fofana said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to ensure that everyone in this country consumes food that is healthy and safe and free from any form of hazardous material. All our inspectors have been trained and they are all competent to use this equipment which will enhance our day-to-day operation to ensure that the food that are brought or processed in this country are safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr Fofana explained that the tools will be able to conduct tests on basic food items such juices and fruits and palm oil adulterations. \u201cOnce you do the test, the result is provided within seconds. So this will help us to monitor the products on time,\u201d Fofana said of the equipment.<\/p>\n Lumana Kamashi from the European Union said the donation is in line with WACOMP\u2019s quest to develop Gambia\u2019s quality infrastructure system by strengthening the technical capacity and competence of the conformity assessment institutions.<\/p>\n \u201cThis equipment will help the FSQA to access the safety and quality of raw materials, intermediary and finished food products including signals of possible adulteration. It is our hope that the institution will judiciously utilise these valuable materials to help enhance their competence in relation to food conformity, assessment in the country and better serve the Gambian people.\u201d<\/p>\n UNIDO\u2019s international expert Adalberto Viera expressed hope that the equipment will significantly boost public trust that foods consumed in the country are safe. The Plant Protection Services, The Agricultural Extension Services and The Gambia Standards Bureau have also received field equipment.<\/p>\n Source: The Gambia | Standard News From The Gambia<\/b><\/p>\n For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tabora Bojang Africa-Press – Gambia. The Food Safety and Quality Authority has acquired a new laboratory material which it believes would significantly reduce the sending of suspected contaminated foods for inspection outside the country. The laboratory material donated by the West Africa Competitiveness Programme funded by the EU and implemented by the United Nations Industrial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":23437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,7],"tags":[2355,2361,2373,260,8783],"class_list":["post-23438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","category-head-lines","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-gambia","tag-food","tag-gambia","tag-samples"],"yoast_head":"\n