Kenya Meat Commission Attains ISO 22000:2005 Certification
Today’s launch of the ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management Systems.
Certification is a major milestone achievement for the Commission. The journey to attaining this recognition was a long and winding one. The Board and the Management made a strategic decision to benchmark the Commission’s meat processing procedures for safety, quality, legal and regulatory requirements with a recognized international standard.
The Commission aspires to win customer confidence due to high standards and procedures maintained within KMC operations which ensures food safety of the end products. It is with a strong background in food safety and quality that the Commission expects to differentiate itself from other international competitors.
The Commission being a dynamic and capable institution has embraced innovation in new products development, business process reengineering in order to keep ablest with the changing consumer needs as well as improve efficiency. To enable the Commission meet the strict quality requirements especially of the international markets, the Commission has taken a pro-active approach towards sensitizing the livestock keepers on the specifications in terms of age, weight and body conformation. However, a participatory approach by all stakeholders is necessary to commercialize the livestock production systems.
The ISO Certification journey has not been without challenges but the Commission positively took on the same so as to achieve this success and to reap the benefits accruing from it. It is important to note that the Government through the Ministry of Livestock Development was instrumental in providing us with financial resources and ensured the disease-free status and safety of livestock.
I would like to applaud the entire staff of the Commission for the high level of professionalism, commitment and teamwork through which this success has been achieved and I urge them to take the achievement to greater heights by ensuring continuous improvements. Special recognition goes to the Food Safety Team who worked tirelessly to ensure that the Commission’s quest for certification in food processing and management Systems - ISO 22000:2005 is achieved. My appreciation further goes to the Board of Commissioners for their guidance and support to the management which was indispensable to the achievement of this great honour.
Finally, I wish to assure all stakeholders that the Commission is committed to providing quality service and ensuring that the high standards are maintained and continuously improved.
Today we celebrate the contribution of Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) to Kenyan society and African region in quality standards of meat and meat products. KMC plays a crucial role in complementing Government efforts in Kenya’s economic recovery in the livestock sector.
The ISO certification will give the Commission a competitive edge that will ensure greater market reach both locally and internationally. This will augment KMC’s role in providing a market to the livestock industry which will uplift the economic dynamics of the pastoral communities. Hon. Dr Mohamed Abdi Kuti, EGH, MP Minister for Livestock Development For the desired economic effect, the Ministry of Livestock Development will continue to play its role in the achievement of Vision 2030. The government will establish at least four Disease Free Zones including in the ASAL regions.
To revive the Livestock sector and turn Kenya into an exporter of high quality beef and other livestock products, targeted livestock development will be implemented revolving around a series of strategically placed Disease Free Zones. The Ministry will continue to nurture skills in animal health, production and quality assurance of animal products through capacity building, training of extension support, research and development of vaccines and breeds. This will ensure that the Kenyan livestock products meet international requirements to support the export markets of value added products.
The goal of the Ministry of Livestock Development is to improve the livelihoods of Kenyans through sustainable livestock development towards the Vision 2030. To achieve this, the Ministry has identified five strategic objectives namely: development of appropriate policy and legal framework, increase in livestock productivity through provision of widely accessible inputs and services to farmers, enhanced investment in livestock production, increase in market access to livestock and their products and enhanced institutional efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.
I therefore wish to congratulate the Kenya Meat Commission Board, Management, Food Safety Team and the entire staff for the tireless effort that has gone into the process to ensure the Commission has achieved this major milestone, as they receive the ISO 22000:2005 certification.
