Kenya takes over FAO/WHO Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa

The ceremonial handover of the CCAFRICA Coordinator from Cameroon to Kenya took place on 24th Feb 2016 at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi.

The event was attended by Mr Adan Mohamed (Cabinet Secretary-Ministry of Industry, Investment and Trade), Madam Awilo Ochieng Pernet (Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission), Represenatatives of FAO and WHO as well as Stephen Ibae from Cameroon the outgoing Regional Coordinator. Stakeholders from Industry, Regulatory Bodies and Consumer Organisations were in also in attendance.

As Coordinator for Africa, Kenya will work on responding to the region’s concerns on food standards and food control. It will continue to promote mutual exchange of information on proposed regulatory initiatives and address problems arising from food control, as well as stimulate and strengthen food control infrastructures. Concretely, these include the development of frameworks to guide market infrastructures, food processing and storage facilities among others.

CCAFRICA Chair Moses Gichia

The new Chair of the Coordinating Committee Mr Moses Gichia, speaking to the Codex Secretariat said Kenya would be aiming to "minimize the prevalence of foodborne disease and increase intra-African trade. This can be achieved by use of Codex Standards and other texts".

Since the country became a member of Codex in 1969, the Kenya Bureau of Standards has adopted over 200 Codex Food Standards and several codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and to facilitate trade.

Links

Read a full report from Kenya's Daily Nation

Learn more about CCAFRICA here