ARSO and Africa's standardization - interfacing technical standards with sps measures (3)

03/05/2023 1

African Organisation For Standardisation

ARSO and Africa’s Standardization: Interfacing

Technical Standards with SPS Measures

Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, Secretary General, ARSO

Standardization in Africa

AU SPS Meeting

The African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) was established in 1977 by UNECA and OAU with the mandate to:

a. harmonize national and/or sub-regional standards as African Standards and issue necessary recommendations to member bodies for this purpose;

b. promote and coordinate standardisation and conformity assessment practices in Africa;

c. operate a regional certification marking scheme with a view to certifying the quality of and promoting African products;

d. encourage and facilitate the development by AU Member States of technical regulations to be based on African harmonised standards and/or international standards;

e. promote and facilitate exchange of experts, information and co-operation in training of personnel in standardisation activities;

f. create appropriate bodies in addition to the organs of the organization for the purposes of fulfilling its objectives.

About ARSO

03/05/2023 2Standardization in Africa

The Lagos Plan of Action (LPA) for the Economic Development of Africa (1980 - 2000) reiterated the scope of standardization and expanded the mandate of ARSO thus:

◦ARSO to be entrusted with the task of establishing African regional standards for all products of interest to intra-African trade.

◦ARSO to operate a regional certification marking scheme with a view to certifying the quality of and promoting African products.

Expansion of ARSO Mandate


Chapter XI Article 67 of the Abuja Treaty African recognised the importance of quality issues in economic development and called on member states to cooperate in the area of Standardization and Measurement Systems as follows:

(a) adopt a common policy on standardization and quality assurance of goods and services among Member States;

(b) undertake such other related activities in standardization and measurement systems that are likely to promote trade, economic development and integration within the Community; and

(c) strengthen African national, regional and continental organizations operating in this field.

AEC Treaty


Harmonization of African Standards for Products of significance to African economies

Establishing a conformity assessment scheme to coordinate quality of African products in order to improve intra-African and global trade

Establishing a consumers’ platform to ensure clear articulation of consumers’ interests in standardization work.

Establishing a documentation and information network for African countries to voluntarily share standardization and related documentation and information.

Establishing the African Trade web-portal to facilitate intra-African trade and foster integration.

What ARSO is doing


Premised on Article 49 of the AEC Treaty:1) ARSO/THC 01, Basic and General Standards2) ARSO/THC 02, Agriculture and Food Products3) ARSO/THC 03, Building and Civil Engineering4) ARSO/THC 04, Mechanical Engineering & Metallurgy5) ARSO/THC 05, Chemistry & Chemical

Engineering6) ARSO/THC 06, Electro-technology7) ARSO/THC 07, Textiles and Leather8) ARSO/THC 08, Transport and Communication9) ARSO/THC 09, Environmental Management10) ARSO/THC 10, Energy and Natural Resources11) ARSO/THC 11, Quality Management12) ARSO/THC 12, Services13) ARSO/THC 13, African Traditional Medicine

Standardization work


Guide good production and processing processes

Provide parameters within which food safety and quality are maintained in the value chains

Provide procedures for objective and effective conformity assessment which create trust and confidence among stakeholders and trading partners

Underpin value addition processes Promote food security

Standardization in Food Products


The process of standardization in agriculture and food products is “beleaguered” by technocratic dissonance.

This is further fuelled by a patchwork of uncoordinated legislation and regulatory frameworks which are not responsive global trade and food security frameworks.

There is lack of appreciation of the need to establish functional interfaces between sector regulatory bodies: SPS, animal health, public health, food safety on the one hand – and quality infrastructure bodies: metrology, standards, conformity assessment, accreditation, trade promotion and environmental bodies

Status of Standardization in Africa


We are more comfortable trading with extra-African parties on their own terms

We are net exporters of unprocessed products and importers of processed products at a premium

Our failure to create wealth from our own resources

Food insecurity as we cannot move products from areas of surplus to areas of deficit

A population suffering from malnutrition as resources waste away or are being stolen from our waters

Consequences for Africa


We see the role of SPS, Metrology, Standards, Testing and Marketing on the same products

The beef and poultry meat must pass SPS Measures through Testing and Inspection; the cuts must be Standardized; Measured into marketable portions; Packed, Labelled and Coded as per Trade and Technical Standards, Legal Metrology requirements

The fish must pass the SPS Measures thro Inspection and Testing; Graded in terms of Weights; Coded, Packed and Labelled.

The same requisite procedures are applied to all food and agriculture products

Trade, Standards, SPS, Food Safety: Interfaces


Trade, Standards, SPS, Food Safety: Beef


Beef: Trade Standard Cuts and Codes


Poultry: Trade Standard Cuts and Codes


Trade, Standards, SPS, Food Safety: Fish


Microbiological standards

What do we address in standards?


S/No. Type of microorganism Maximum limit

Method of test

(i) Pseudomonas species per gram

Absent ISO 13720

(ii) Salmonella in 30 g Absent ISO 6579

(iii) E. coli per g Absent ISO 7251

(iv) Shigella per g Absent ISO 21567

(v) Coliforms g (per 100 g) Absent ISO 4832

(vi) Staphylococcus aureus per 10 g

2 × 103g ISO 6888

(vii) Total viable count 105/g ISO 4833

(viii) Vibrio cholerae Absent ISO/TS 21872

(ix) Clostridium perfrigens Absent ISO 7937CD-K-510:2010, Fresh dried rastineobola argentea (omena/daggaa)

Limits on contaminants



Characteristic Fresh Frozen Test methoda) Mercury, mg/kg, Max 0.5 0.5 EAS 41b) Copper, mg/kg, Max 20.0 20.0 EAS 41c) Zinc, mg/kg, Max 50.0 50.0 EAS 41f) Arsenic, mg/kg, Max 0.1 0.1 EAS 41e) Lead, mg/kg, Max 0.3 0.3 EAS 41f) Tin, mg/kg, Max

(i) For product packed in tin plate 50.0 50.0 EAS 41(ii) For product packed in other packing containers 250.0 250.0 EAS 41

g) Cadmium 0.3 0.3 EAS 41h) Methylmercury 0.5 0.5 EAS 41CD-K-519:2010, Sardines and sardine-type products — Specification

Grading



Grade designation Count (No. per kg) with head onLarge Below 15 Medium 15 to 25 Small 26 and more CD-K-519:2010, Sardines and sardine-type products — Specification

Grade designation Mass, g Silver and white

pomfretBrown or black

pomfretLarge Above 500 Above 1000Medium 251 to 500 701 to 1000Small 150 to 250 400 to 700CD-K-557-2010, Fresh pomfret — Specification

We are focusing on standards applicable through the value chains.

Standards for:i. Responsible fisheries (capture fisheriesii. Good agricultural practicesiii.Good manufacturing practicesiv. Sustainable fisheriesv. Certification and conformity

assessmentsvi.Product specificationsvii.Product market presentations

The Standards we are Developing


1. WD-ARS 1106, Good Agricultural Practices for Tilapia Farms

2. WD-ARS 1107, Good Agricultural Practices for Freshwater Aquatic Animal Farms

3. CD-ARS 53:2015, General principles of food hygiene — Code of practice

4. CD-ARS 56:2015, Prepackaged foods — Labelling

5. Aquaculture — Code of practice for African Catfish

6. Aquaculture structures

Examples of standards


i. CD-K-510:2010, Fresh dried rastrineobola argentea (Omena/Dagaa) — Specification

ii. CD-K-511:2010, Fresh frozen prawns/shrimps — Specificationiii. CD-K-512:2010, Dried prawns/shrimps — Specificationiv. CD-K-513-1:2010, Fresh and frozen fin fish — Part 1: Whole fish

— Specificationv. CD-K-513-2:2010, Fresh and frozen fin fish — Part 2: Fish fillet —

Specificationvi. CD-K-521:2010, Code of practice for fish and fishery productsvii. CD-K-522:2010, Code of practice for salted fishviii. EAS 62-1:2000, Fish handling, processing and distribution —

Code of practice — Part 1: Fresh fish handling and processingix. EAS 62-2:2000, Fish handling, processing and distribution —

Code of practice — Part 2: Code of hygiene for the handling, processing, storage and the placing in the market of fish and fishery products

x. CD-K-523:2010, Code of practice for the handling, processing, storage and distribution of molluscan shellfish

Examples of standards


Example Application: Shrimp


QI application to shrimp export chain


QI application to shrimp processing


National quality system for fishery products


control of water quality variables, control of stocking densities, control of aeration, analysis of feeds and fertilizers, dosage of feeds and fertilizers (fertilizers are used to stimulate the natural food chain),

weight of post-larvae from nurseries before moving them to grow-out ponds,

ponds salinity and temperature, control of diseases (fungi, bacteria, virus)

Shrimp farm: Testing & Measurements


reception, grading, weight, packaging and freezing,

in some cases, beheading, de-veining and peeling,

possible contaminants during the processing itself,

when shrimp is sold precooked, controlled temperatures and pressure,

compliance of premises with requirements outlined in legislation such as:i. structural requirements for factory or vessel,ii. maintenance and operation in a hygienic

manner,iii. principles of good manufacturing practice,

e.g. temperature control, layout of facility, positive air pressure that are essential for product safety.

Shrimp Processing: Scope of Standards


reliable measurements of temperature and time, proper packaging materials and labelling, proper conditions, e.g. temperature of transport

and storage facilities and duration of these activities,

hygienic conditions during transport (cleanliness, temperature records, correct loading in vehicles)

Shrimp Freezing: Measurements & Standards


Thank you!


ARSO and Africa's standardization - interfacing technical standards with sps measures (3)

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Transcript of ARSO and Africa's standardization - interfacing technical standards with sps measures (3)