PROSAFE Alumni to Increase Awareness on the Importance of Traceability for Safer Food
February 17, 2023
Promoting the use of traceability in ensuring food safety and increasing market opportunities, a total of 29 participants who completed the Regional Training Program on Traceability in Food Value Chain, which was held from February 13-17 2023, will be implementing different awareness raising events and capacity building programs in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Designed to contribute in improving the national food safety control system and food safety management system of food businesses, the five-day course had provided participants with overview of traceability measures in food safety and trade facilitation.
“Becoming more connected through technological advancement and new transport services, the Mekong region is accelerating its efforts to become a global business hub in the agri-food sector. Accountability of food producers in the region through traceability is important in product value addition and better market access moving forward,” highlighted by Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of Mekong Institute (MI), during his opening remarks. He encouraged the participants to be leaders in contributing to the increased accountability by promoting the importance of traceability in ensuring high-quality and safe food to their respective countries.
Existing traceability platforms in the region were also showcased by the governments of Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the app of the Greenovator from Myanmar. The lectures were delivered by experts from Nanyang Technological University Singapore and GS1 Malaysia.
Participants were brought to the Northeastern Branch of the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand for a structured learning visit where they learned about the product tracing system of the company.
Held under the project Promoting Safe Food for Everyone or PROSAFE, the training contributes in improving the food safety measure in the Mekong region by strengthening traceability management systems of food business operators and traceability policies of the government.