Senegal: Strengthening food laboratory capacities, FAO launches regional program in Dakar
An international meeting on food safety was held on Monday, August 11, 2025, in Dakar, at the initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Africa section of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Over three days, experts, laboratory representatives, and national control authorities from several Sahel countries are discussing the challenges and prospects for strengthening the technical and institutional capacities of food analysis laboratories.
This large-scale program aims to upgrade nine pilot laboratories in Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Niger. It is part of a long-term effort to ensure compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard, the international benchmark for analytical laboratories.
Initial assessments revealed numerous shortcomings: outdated infrastructure, obsolete equipment, inadequate quality systems, and an urgent need for skills development. According to Mr. Zoéwindé Henri-Noël Bouda, FAO representative, these efforts are essential in a context where food safety has become strategic for public health, trade, and regional competitiveness.
The workshop enables participants to share GLP self-assessment results, receive training in new audit tools, discuss certification issues, and plan concrete actions. A performance benchmarking program among laboratories will foster a culture of continuous improvement, supported by regular audits and corrective measures.
For Professor Amadou Diop, President of the National Codex Alimentarius Committee, reliable data from these laboratories is crucial for developing credible international standards. However, he regrets that much local data remains unusable due to poor methodology or inadequate equipment.
The Director of Senegal’s National Laboratory for Analysis and Control (LANAC), Ms. Fatou Bèye Sarré, stressed the need to maintain high staff competence, renew equipment, and meet result delivery deadlines.
The workshop will continue until August 14, with the aim of building a more robust and resilient regional system capable of ensuring food safety across the Sahel.
