USAID and Purdue University Study Highlights Challenges in Livestock Food Safety Standards

The USAID-funded Feed the Future Bangladesh Livestock and Nutrition Activity, implemented by ACDI/VOCA, hosted a Sharing and Validation Workshop on its Food Safety Assessment of the Livestock Value Chain at the Renaissance Hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka. Findings from the recent Food Safety Gap Analysis, conducted in collaboration with Purdue University’s Food Safety Innovation Lab, were presented during the event.

The analysis identified persistent challenges in maintaining food safety standards, including inadequate hygiene practices, infrastructural gaps, and limited knowledge and practices at the local level.

Dr. Md. Reajul Huq, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services and the event’s Chief Guest, emphasized the importance of safe dairy and meat handling to strengthen public health, enhance consumer confidence, and unlock trade opportunities in both local and international markets.

Professor Dr. Mohammad Shoeb, a member of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), highlighted the critical need for collaboration with market actors, particularly at the local business level, to build capacity for maintaining food safety standards and protocols. Mr. Joseph Lessard, Director of the Economic Growth Office at USAID Bangladesh, reiterated USAID’s commitment to improving food safety practices.

He underscored the role of enhanced food safety in bolstering food security, safeguarding consumer health, and driving economic progress in Bangladesh. In addition to Mr. Lessard, the event was attended by other USAID personnel, including Alexis Polovina, the Feed the Future Coordinator, and Project Management Specialists Mehedi Hasan, Muhammad Nuruzzaman, and Farhad Hossain.

The event was also attended by key representatives from organizations including the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the Ministry of Industry, the Directorate General Office of Health Services, the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN), as well as academia, the private sector, and development partners.

Participants engaged in collaborative discussions to identify targeted interventions aimed at improving food safety practices across the dairy and meat value chains. The event concluded with a collective commitment to advancing these interventions through coordinated efforts among government ministries, academia, and private sector stakeholders.