To enhance the importance of hygiene and quality control in food handling, 35 African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) officers attended a two-day intensive training on ration management and best practices in handling troop logistics.
The newly deployed officers were drawn from all AMISOM sectors, and they included logisticians, caterers and ration officers from AMISOM military, police and mission headquarters.
The training focused on aspects of standard menu planning and food ordering, UN Ration Management procedures, acquisition and storage, distribution and accountability, substitutions, missing items and spoilage, food handling and hygiene, and quality control assurance among other topics.
Closing the training on behalf of the Head of Mission Support Gen. Fidza Dludlu, the AMISOM Civil Engineer and Acting Chief Integrated Support Services, Andrew Alele urged the officers to maintain high standards of hygiene.
Uganda’s Lt. Col. Ezra Amutuhaire, Deputy Chief of Logistics from AMISOM Force Headquarter said the training on ration management was important as it equipped the caterers with the tools to provide quality services to the troops.
“We have trained these officers on quality assurance, because being food handlers, quality and hygiene are important to the health of the troops.”
Captain Selina Awino, Sector 1 Catering officer, said she found the training beneficial. “I got important training in managing the ration chain, transportation, and storage. I’m now better informed in aspects of menu planning, balancing of calories and on food value and nutrition of the different food items in our store.”
Owing to the importance of the training, the ration officers from the various sectors requested that such training be conducted frequently, to enhance and sustain the quality of services that troops receive while on the mission.
