Integration of food safety management systems in the design of small and medium food businesses in Togo

The quality of food produced by small and medium food businesses (SMFBs) and their practices in relation to protection of the environment and consumer health often do not meet ISO norms, although these are an important factor for competitiveness on the national and especially the international market. Many existing SMFBs fail to meet these norms and will require new or redesigned plants to do so. These solutions require significant investments that delay or discourage SMFBs from obtaining certification, in view of their limited financial capacity. To attempt to enable ISO certification, this work examined how food safety management systems (FSMSs) could be integrated into new SMFB designs. We first conducted a diagnostic investigation of four SMFBs in the maritime region of Togo. We found various extents of failure to conform with the FSMS requirements of the ISO 22000 (version 2005) standard: environment relative to the plant site: 33 to 67%; buildings: 29 to 86%; equipment and workspace: 0 to 67%; air, water, and energy supply systems: 75 to 81%; waste disposal: 22 to 100%; suitable equipment: 14 to 86%; prevention of cross-contamination( forward planning): 33 to 100%; and finally, pest control: 67%. Dissemination of information and up-to-date clear training materials for the food industries and their workers remain insufficient, and SMFBs do not receive adequate technical assistance. Therefore, an approach that integrates the FSMS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) directives to SMFI design has been proposed.