Cambodia, Singapore Strengthen Food-Safety Systems Through Capacity Building

Cambodia and Singapore have launched a five-day training programme to strengthen food-safety systems, advance agro-processing and help Cambodian enterprises produce higher-quality products for domestic and international markets.

The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI) and the Embassy of Singapore in Phnom Penh launched the customised “Food Processing and Safety” course on Monday at the Cambodia-Singapore Cooperation Centre (CSCC), with the programme running from August 17 to 21.

The training brings together Cambodian officials to develop skills in food-safety management, food preservation, value addition and sustainable food production.

Opening the course, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation Hem Vanndy said stronger food-safety systems were essential to protecting public health, building consumer confidence and improving the competitiveness of industries and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“Investing in food safety is not only an investment in the wellbeing of today’s consumers, but also in our long-term reputation and future economy,” Vanndy said.

He highlighted the need to reduce post-harvest losses, adopt modern processing and packaging technologies, comply with international standards and promote resource-efficient production.

These measures, he said, would support Cambodia’s transition from basic production towards higher-value-added manufacturing.

Singaporean Ambassador to Cambodia Steven Pang Chee Wee said the programme was developed specifically in response to MISTI’s priorities and marked a new phase in bilateral capacity-building cooperation.

“Today marks something new. This is the first customised course under the ambit of the Singapore Cooperation Programme to be held at the CSCC,” Pang said. “I hope this will be the first of many such customised collaborations.”

Pang said Cambodia’s abundant agricultural production presented significant opportunities to create greater value through improved processing, preservation and food-safety practices.

The course also supports MISTI’s efforts to strengthen Cambodia’s National Quality Infrastructure, including standards, metrology, accreditation and laboratory testing, while helping local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) improve product quality and gain access to regional and international markets.

Established in 2002 and upgraded in 2018, the CSCC reflects the longstanding cooperation between Cambodia and Singapore. More than 19,000 Cambodian government officials have benefited from its capacity-building programmes.