Food Quality Helps Ensure Mongolia’s Economic Future .

As global competitors put pressure on the Mongolian economy, public officials and economists are focusing on improving quality controls as a necessary building block for economic growth. The Food Safety Quality Assurance Program, a collaborative effort between USAID/Business Plus Initiative and the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health, was established to help Mongolian businesses learn how to achieve higher levels of quality in their products and services — the single largest issue identified by business leaders and public officials as hindering economic development.

Launched in 2011, the Food Safety Quality Assurance Program has trained more than 120 individuals in HAACP, the internationally recognized food safety standard. This training is the first phase in the project’s goal of establishing a Quality Management Center of Excellence that will continue to improve quality assurance practices so that local businesses such as food processing plants and restaurants can become more competitive.