The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Africa Section of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International Sub-Sahara), has officially launched a regional programme to strengthen food safety laboratories in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal. The initiative, unveiled at a workshop in Dakar, aims to support nine pilot laboratories across the three countries to build a stronger and more reliable food control system for the region.
Food safety laboratories in West Africa face ongoing challenges, including limited resources, insufficient training, and inadequate quality systems. Through this project, FAO and AOAC intend to help laboratories align with international standards such as ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). Strengthening laboratory capacity is expected to improve food safety, boost consumer confidence, and support economic growth in a context of increasing regional and international trade.
The two-day workshop brought together national food control authorities, laboratory representatives, and experts from the Sahel to train participants in key tools such as GLP audits, quality assurance systems, and the Laboratory Benchmarking Programme. Participants highlighted the importance of upgrading technical facilities, training staff in new validated methods, and ensuring timely, accurate test results to monitor food contaminants that pose risks to public health.
Experts emphasized that generating reliable and internationally recognized data is essential for assessing food-borne disease burdens, setting global standards, and supporting fair trade. Valid data requires well-equipped laboratories, properly trained personnel, and rigorous procedures. Stronger food safety controls also act as a deterrent, encouraging farmers and agribusinesses to uphold quality standards in the marketplace.
The programme concluded with a field visit to the Laboratoire National d’Analyse et de Contrôle (LANAC), which offered participants a practical demonstration of how international standards can be applied in laboratory operations. This hands-on experience further reinforced the importance of collaboration and continuous improvement in building resilient food safety systems in West Africa.
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