HARMONIZATION OF FOOD STANDARDS (OIL SEEDS, FATS AND OILS) IN EAST AFRICA, 4-5TH NOVEMBER 2019

The regional harmonization meeting of the East Africa standards on oilseeds, Edible Fats and Oils was convened by the East African CommunitySecretariatand hosted by the United Republic of Tanzaniawith thefinancialsupport ofTrade Mark East Africa – Tanzania (TMEA- Tanzania).The meeting was attendedby delegatesfromSix Partner Statesthat included Republic of Burundi,Republic of Kenya,Republic ofRwanda,Republic of SouthSudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Uganda. Dr. George Abong’ from the University of Nairobi chaired the meeting. In his remarks he appreciated the United Republic of Tanzania for hosting the meeting.He urged the delegates to be objective and base their deliberations on scientific principles. He also indicated that the technical committee’s work is crucial and determines how science and trade meet for common progress-facilitating trade while assuring quality and safety of foods in the region.  On his part, the Director of Standards Development, Tanzania Bureau of Standards, Mr. David Ndibalema, welcomed the delegates from all the Partner States to the meeting. He appreciated the commitment given by the Partner States towards standardization work in the EAC Region. The main standards under discussion included those of cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, sesame and chia seeds.