IICA launches virtual food inspection school in Central America and the Dominican Republic
San Jose, Costa Rica, March 2, 2015 (IICA). Nearly 300 food inspectors in Central America and the Dominican Republic embarked on a training process that will enable them to update their knowledge and exchange experiences about their work through a series of courses organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The courses are intended to facilitate the harmonization of the food safety controls of the countries concerned and promote trade in foodstuffs in the region. Under the aegis of the Regional Virtual Food Inspection School for Central America and the Dominican Republic (ERVIA), the training activities are carried out via IICA’s Moodle platform, available on its website(http://moodle.iica.ac.cr/moodle/) .
One of the ultimate aims of the courses is to teach small and medium-scale producers good agricultural practices based on effective inspections during the primary production phase.
“By creating a body of inspectors skilled in harmonized controls, we aim to minimize the obstacles to regional trade and promote the modernization and permanent improvement of standards,” pointed out Robert Ahern, leader of Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) at IICA.
He added that the harmonization of regional inspection procedures would help to consolidate the customs union in Central America.
The project, which will encompass eight groups of inspectors, is being financed by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).
Leading academics from across the region will be in charge of the virtual classrooms, drawn from the Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado (El Salvador), the Universidad Rafael Landívar (Guatemala), the Universidad Nacional de Agricultura (Honduras), the Universidad Autónoma Nacional de Nicaragua–León, and the ISA (Dominican Republic), as well as from other universities in Belize, Costa Rica and Panama.
Divided into six modules, the training deals with subjects such as the basics of food chemistry, the risks associated with safety, good agricultural practices, risks and controls related to meat storage processes, legislation and modern inspection principles.
The project aims to train between 25% and 35% of the food inspectors in each country by the time it concludes in 2016.
Next year the virtual school will offer representatives of the private sector the opportunity to participate in the initiative; and a course for food safety auditors will also be available by the end of the project.
Contribution to regional integration
In Central America and the Dominican Republic, food inspection is the responsibility of government agencies whose activities are regulated by legislation in each country.
The objective of the project is to offer food inspectors basic information about technical and attitudinal elements, with a view to promoting the modernization and mutual recognition of national food inspection systems. Thus, the project will contribute to the region’s development by facilitating trade and promoting the consumption of safe food.
“Although good progress has been made with the harmonization of regulations across the region, work is required at the national level to strengthen and harmonize inspection processes as a means to build trust in food safety control systems and not affect trade,” explained IICA AHFS specialist Ana Marisa Cordero.
The ERVIA has been endorsed by the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), comprised of the ministers of agriculture of the eight countries, and by the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMISCA).
It is also consistent with the provisions of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which calls for the establishment of standards related to good agricultural practices and prevention systems to improve safety in food production and in processing plants.
More information:
ana.cordero@iica.int