KAMPALA–To ensure compliance to the food safety standards, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some traders and butchers, operating in the city.
Under their association, Kampala Butchers and Traders Association (KABUTA), the MoU requires them to improve the quality of meat products the traders are selling to the public.
The signing exercise took place at UNBS head office between UNBS boss Dr Ben Manyindo and KABUTA chairperson Musa Ssenabulya.
In his message, Manyindo told the traders and butchers that the MoU was an opportunity for his institution to work closely with the traders to coordinate business standards.
There is a public outcry on the quality of meat and meat products being sold on the market. Kampala Capital City Authority health inspectors say many abattoirs in the city don’t have minimum hygiene standards.
Benny Namugwanya, the state minister for Kampala city, recently said the abattoirs are operating in grossly unhygienic state due to non-supervision by sanitation officers.
She said the MoU will compel meat traders to promote value addition through creating awareness on food safety requirements and procedures.
Manyindo said the MoU provides cooperation on weights and measure requirements, training and certification of the butchers.
“KABUTA members will undertake trainings on the standard implementations and record keeping,’ he noted.
UNBS is a statutory government body mandated to develop and promote standards and quality of products. The body is also responsible for promoting fair trade and protect consumers, among others.
More efforts are needed to improve on the quality of meat, Uganda sells at the international market.
Currently, UNBS is implementing the standards in the meat products to help meet the international standards as one way of preventing technical barriers.
Manyindo is optimistic the cooperation between UNBS and KABUTA will help improve standards.