4 December 2019

Twelve fish inspectors and other officials from Albanian Food Authority (AKU) regional directorates in Tirana, Elbasan, Vlora, Saranda and Lezha participated today at a training workshop on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), organised by the Food Safety Project, a four-year programme funded by the European Union to support the strengthening of food safety, veterinary and plant health standards in Albania.

AKU General Director Robert Lili said he was grateful for the project’s support in organising these training workshops, which are set to continue in the future. Mr. Lili added that Albania has significant fish-related resources and their use based on the best European standards is an important topic.

Project Team Leader Michael Parker thanked the participating inspectors and assured them that this was the first of several workshops, marking only the start of the assistance the Food Safety Project will provide to the fish sector in Albania. Mr. Parker also encouraged participants to get involved with questions and discussions during the workshop.

The HACCP for Fish Inspectors Workshop was led by Maeve Cairney, a leading food safety expert from Ireland.

As an EU candidate country, Albania has started the process of bringing its food safety standards closer to those of the European Union, and these workshops aim to make the process easier.