Authority Inaugurates Food Quality, Safety Control Laboratory

Addis Ababa May 18/2021 (ENA) Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority has today inaugurated its state of the art food quality and safety control laboratory.

The Authority has invested  40 million Birr to enhance the lab with modern equipments and lab technologies as well as additional 5 million Birr to renovate the building.

The laboratory would enable the country to conduct effective and quality food safety regulation, it was stated.

Authority General Director, Hiran Gerba said on the occasion that before the renovation, the Authority had provided quality control services to only 655 imported products within nine months.

However, the renovated laboratory has a capacity to provide quality control services and accreditations for more than 200 products at a time, she added.

Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse for her part stated that building technologically advanced laboratories is critical in order to protect public health by effectively controlling the illegal movements of food items and drugs in Ethiopia.

It was also learned that Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority has finalized preparation to build an African center of excellence in food quality and safety regulation with a cost of over 4 billion Birr.