Food safety certification ceremony honors public- and private-sector experts September 23, 2013 Thirteen laboratory technicians

s and food technologists received certificates following their training on best laboratory practices applicable to the food processing industry. The public- and private-sector experts, who work at various food processing companies as well as the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency, received their certificates during a ceremony attended by Kosovo Minister of Agriculture Blerand Stavileci. The event was held at TrePharm, a pharmaceutical manufacturer. The experts attended five days of capacity-building training in August and September. They learned about the theory of quality systems in industry, as well as details of the standards, procedures and equipment necessary for quality control. The training also covered physico-chemical and microbiological practices in the food-processing industry. Stavileci lauded the attendance of staff from the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency, given their important role in monitoring food safety. He also expressed his appreciation for the collaborative effort between the KFVA and the private sector that allowed for the training to take place. Mark Wood, director of USAIDs New Opportunities for Agriculture project, said the program organized the advanced training in order to see the type of laboratory practices currently followed by TrePharm applied in the near future by Kosovos processing companies as well.