Food safety experts empowered on Good Laboratory Practices for animal disposition studies
This training contributes to building sustainable capacity for member countries to generate reliable scientific data, for setting maximum levels for a range of chemical hazards.
MOROCCO – Food safety experts from 23 African countries completed an intensive training session on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) for animal disposition studies in Rabat, Morocco, from 31 March to 4 April 2025.
GLP describes how laboratory studies should be planned, performed, monitored, recorded, reported, and archived, ensuring the generation of valid, trustworthy, and reliable data.
This regional initiative was supported by a Technical Cooperation Project (RAF5091) on Enhancing human and analytical capacities for food safety standards, coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The project aims to address a critical gap in Africa’s food safety system—the need to contribute to setting national, regional, and international (Codex) standards and guidelines required to safeguard consumers, ensure responsible food production practices, and facilitate fair trade in agricultural products.
This training contributes to building strong and sustainable capacity for Member Countries to generate reliable scientific data for setting maximum residue limits (MRLs) and/or maximum levels (MLs) for a range of chemical hazards, including veterinary and pesticide residues, mycotoxins, and toxic metals across various foodstuffs.
While some countries rely on the Codex Alimentarius Committees to establish MRLs, others set their own limits.
It also aims to enhance regional knowledge and application of good laboratory practices, particularly in setting food safety standards for large food animals.
While officiating at the opening of the regional training, Dr Sami Darkaoui, the Head of the Division of Pharmacy and Veterinary Inputs at the Moroccan Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), highlighted the continent’s need to build robust food safety assessment systems, which are essential in contributing to regional and international standardisation efforts.
He further advised that study designs should be conducted according to GLP requirements, noting that additional capacity development events were planned for May 2025, focusing on GLP in pesticide residues, including attention to minor crops.
The trainees welcomed the initiative and continued support from the IAEA, which will go a long way toward harmonising the application and implementation of good laboratory practices on the continent.
Representatives came from Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
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