CAPFISH-Capture and IPC Collaboration: Enhancing Laboratory Testing Accuracy in Cambodia

The CAPFISH-Capture project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Fisheries Administration (FiA), focuses on improving post-harvest fisheries. One of the vital aspects of this initiative is enhancing food safety testing laboratories to support food safety control activities, thereby ensuring the safety and quality of fish and fishery products.

Thanks to the continuous technical assistance from the CAPFISH project, IPC's Laboratory of Environment and Food Safety received ISO/IEC 17025/2017 accreditation from the International Accreditation Service (IAS) in September 2022 for certain testing parameters under food microbiology. Following continued support from the project, IPC has recently expanded its accreditation scope to include 9 additional parameters to their water and food microbiology categories. "This development underscores our commitment to enhancing laboratory capabilities and increasing the trade potential for fish, food, and other agricultural products. It allows local food business operators to save time and reduce costs associated with sending their products for testing in neighboring countries," said Mr. Narin SOK, UNIDO Country Representative in Cambodia.

Prof. André SPIEGEL, Director of IPC, praised the fruitful collaboration with the CAPFISH-Capture project, stating, "The IAS accreditation reflects our unwavering dedication to providing high-quality food testing services. It enhances our ability to support public health by reinforcing food safety and the agri-food and fisheries sectors in meeting national and international standards, ultimately benefiting local food producers and consumers." He also expressed appreciation for the project's ongoing technical support, which will aid IPC in pursuing accreditation for testing services related to chemical substances in the near future.

Congratulating IPC on this significant achievement, H.E. Sotha POUM, Delegate of Royal Cambodia and Director General of FiA, expressed optimism that "with the IPC's recent accomplishments, we can work together more effectively to ensure that all fish and fishery products meet quality standards from harvest to consumer tables." Notably, the FiA regularly sends fish samples to IPC for testing as part of its food safety control responsibilities, ensuring the quality and safety of fish and fishery products across the nation.

"The expansion of IPC's accreditation scope for laboratory testing services is a crucial step in supporting an efficient food safety control system and ensuring market compliance for private food business operators. Through the CAPFISH-Capture programme, we are proud to assist the institution in its efforts to provide expanded laboratory testing services in Cambodia," said H.E. Igor DRIESMANS, EU Ambassador to Cambodia.

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For more information, please contact:

1. Dr. Navin SRENG, Head of Laboratory of Environment and Food Safety, IPC: snavin@pasteur-kh.org
2. Dr. Chamnan CHHOUN, Director of the Department of Fisheries Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control (DFPTQ) of the FiA: chhounchamnan@gmail.com
3. Press and Information Section of the EU Delegation to Cambodia:  delegation-cambodia-ppi@eeas.europa.eu
4. Mr. Samruol IM, National Communication and Visibility Expert for the CAPFISH-Capture project: S.IM@unido.org

More information about the project: https://open.unido.org/projects/KH/projects/180039

Project Newsletters: http://newslettercapfish-postharvest.org/achieve