Project overview:

Modernizing food safety management systems and aligning standards with international best practice presents a strategic opportunity to expand international trade and guarantee the safety of domestic products. This modernization process consisted of developing the capacities of national authorities, food inspectors and food processors in the areas of food legislation, food inspection and official food laboratories.

This project has helped the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan to implement food safety management systems based on preventive, risk-based hazard analysis and critical control point system (HACCP) principles in food processing enterprises. This consists of identifying any food safety-related risks in the food production process and taking timely actions through effective mechanisms.

A Kyrgyz company, Kulikowski, was selected as a pilot enterprise for the implementation of the HACCP programme. After the completion of the project, the company introduced new production systems and regulations, replaced much of its equipment and is now working towards obtaining ISO certification. Thanks to its participation in the project, Kulikowski, has become a model for other companies in Kyrgyzstan.

We received extensive advisory support. This made it possible for our company to receive free access to information, counselling and introduce our company to the international standards.

(Denis Govorovsky, General Manager of Kulikowski, Kyrgyzstan)

In Tajikistan, four sets of guidance material were produced on domestic canning, bakery production, hygienic milk production and catering services. The Directorate General of Food and Control in Turkey’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock developed simple and appealing guidance material for people involved in food production in Tajikistan.

Key results of the project:

• Technical and managerial staff in the relevant ministries and managers of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gained technical insights and practical experience of food safety management systems based on HACCP principles.
• Professionals from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were trained in HACCP principles and processes.
• Four sets of guidance material were produced in Tajikistan to ensure food safety in major food production sectors.
• Study tours were organized to prominent Turkish catering and meat companies.
• Kulikowski successfully passed the first stage of the HACCP programme thanks to the advisory services provided under the project.