Food Safety and Standards
Food Safety and Standards Unit, serve TAHA’s market access agenda by ensuring compliance with the national, regional and international standards adherence by ensuring Safe, Competitive, and Market- Ready Horticultural Products. At TAHA, we recognize that food safety and quality standards are not only essential for public health but are also a key pillar for accessing both local, regional and international markets.
Through our Food Safety and Standards Unit, we are committed to supporting Tanzania’s horticultural sector in producing and marketing safe, traceable, and high-quality fresh produce. Our work is aligned with national regulations and international standards, ensuring that farmers, exporters, and value chain actors meet the stringent requirements of global markets.
Unit Key focus Area
1: Compliance with National and International Standards:
We guide stakeholders to comply with food safety frameworks, including:
- Tanzania Bureau of Standards ( TBS)
- Codex standards, GlobalG.A.P. (IFA and GFS), Organic standards, Rainforest Alliance, BRCGS, SMETA, GRASP, HACCP, etc.
2: Stakeholders Capacity Building and awareness creation
TAHA provides extensive training on:
- Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
- Traceability and record keeping
- Safe use and handling of pesticide
- Post-harvest hygiene and contamination control/HACCCP principles
- Certification preparedness and guidance
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) awareness
- Build consumers awareness on safe and certified horticultural products
- Increase demand for locally grown, high-quality produce
3: Market Access and Export Readiness for agricultural/horticultural products
We work with producers and exporters on;
- Achieve market-required certifications
- Understand international food safety requirements
- Increase Tanzania’s horticulture exports through compliance
4: Policy Advocacy and Regulatory Alignment in the Horticulture industry
TAHA actively engages with policymakers to:
- Harmonize food safety regulations across the industry from local, regional and international practitioners.
- Encourage investment in food safety monitoring
- Improve coordination among regulators
5: Testing and Surveillance of Horticultural products food safety
In partnership with accredited laboratories and regulatory bodies, TAHA supports:
- Regular food safety testing (chemical, microbiological, physical hazards)
- Monitoring compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)
6: Addressing Climate change emerging issues/risks
In response to climate change and evolving threats, TAHA:
- Adapts food safety protocols
- Monitors new pests and diseases
- Builds resilience in the horticulture sector
Standard and certification Achievements
- TAHA trained and issued over 125 nursery certificates to its members
- TAHA, through GreenCert Ltd, issued more than 150 GlobalG.A.P. certificates to its members
(farmers, farmer groups and exporters).
TAHA facilitated certification of over 10 packhouse and farm certificate
TAHA trained over 35 standards experts (Registered trainers/formerly Farm assurers)
TAHA Facilitated training for over 6000 smallholder farmers in the country.
