CNCI, NCE collaborate with SLSI in food standards

The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) and National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), Sri Lanka in association with Sri Lanka Standards Institution is collaborating in a food standards’ project.

It is aimed at providing assistance to a pilot group of Sri Lankan enterprises in setting Food Safety Management Systems (HACCP/ISO 22000) as per ISO 22000 standards, and developing National capacity for compliance with the SA 8000 Social Accountability standards.

The project has been launched by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and funded by a special donor trust fund assigned to UNIDO by the Government of Norway through the Norwegian Development Agency (NORAD), CNCI said in a statement.

“The project is viewed as an important public private partnership towards improving the quality and ensuring safety of processed food and also to ensure social accountability of the local industry with regard to workers welfare in Sri Lankan industry. Sri Lankan entrepreneurs operating in a free market economy need to assure quality and safety in order to market their products either locally or globally it has been revealed that the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has rejected many Sri Lankan imports due to lack of certification as to the quality and safety standards of the product imported from Sri Lanka,” it said.

other hand the EU and the US markets to which large Sri Lankan exports are being made especially the apparel sector, the social accountability certification will become necessary in the light of child labour and other malpractices in the industry taking place in the South Asian Region.

A media briefing was held recently to announce the formation of new certification body for ISO 22000 and SA 8000. It was attended by CNCI Chairman A.K. Ratnarajah and the Members of the Board of Management, Kulatunga Rajapakse, Chairman, NCE and officials of NCE. Dr. A.R.L. Wijesekera, Chairman SLSI and the Director General of SLSI, Mrs. Shirani Weragoda was associated at this media briefing.