By Lodu William Odiya
The Executive Director of the South Sudan National Bureau of Standard, Gloria Nyoka Joseph has called on the government to tighten policies in order to address issues regarding food safety in the country.
Addressing a consultative workshop for a National Advocacy for High-level policy makers yesterday, Nyoka emphasized that food safety is a critical issue, especially where regulatory systems are still developing.
“If we want to address the issue of food safety, it is not easy to address it without policies”
A comprehensive policy framework ensures that food remained safe from production to consumption.
Nyoka said the consultative meeting was organized to see what were the policies that we really need in South Sudan to make sure that the food safety risks were addressed.
“We are looking forward for the outcome of this meeting, and the recommendations, so that it will be forwarded and shared with the stakeholders and all the leadership to make sure that we are having a policy of food safety” Nyoka emphasized.
“It is also to make sure that we are having the National Food Safety Committee, which will address all the issues concerning food safety” she added.
She underscored in most cases about food safety, people thought that it was only the work of the National Bureau of Standards to deal with, but highlighted it is a responsibility of everyone.
Meanwhile, Peter Abui Paul who represented FAO emphasized that food safety and quality standards is a key element of the FAO’s strategic framework.
“FAO South Sudan has been working together with the SSNBS and other stakeholders in regards to food security, nutrition, food safety and codex standards. Food safety and quality standards is a key element of the FAO’s strategic framework, which is the transformation to the more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production and nutrition, environment, life, leaving no one behind”.
He underscored the organization had been delivering safe food for everyone through the policy work awareness to capacities strengthening of the government value chain operators and consumers.
“The purpose of this is to provide the prioritized needs that will enable South Sudan to better contribute to the national aspirations on food safety” Abui added.
He underlined that as people talk of food safety and quality standards, they are working together to support the National Bureau of Standards to ensure that the food is safe from the production to the fork.
On his part, Tut Jok, a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly said there is need to put some laws and also creating awareness on food safety to the people in the country.
“We need to put laws in place. We also need to train our people so that we can protect ourselves” he stated.
Jok acknowledged the SSNBS had been working hard to control the food that were entering into the country from the foreign countries.
“You know our economy is a consuming economy, we don’t produce. Much of what we consume here comes from foreign countries. It is a very heavy work for the standards to make sure that we consume what is good for our health” he emphasized.