1. Overview 

RSB, thorough Zamukana Ubuziranenge Program; conducts gap assessment and provides at no cost technical assistance, capacity building, quality testing and equipment calibration to SMEs involved in animal products and related processes. Coaching is also provided to accompany the SMEs in the journey of establishing, maintaining and continually improve food safety systems that guarantee the production of animal products responding to safety and quality requirements of customers and applicable standards, taking also into account compliance to statutory and regulatory requirements. 

The following products and processes are of great importance in animal products sector: 

1. Animal slaughtering process and production of fresh meat. 
2. Meat and fish storage and transportation
3. Meat and meat products
4. Fish and fish products
5. Table Eggs and their derivatives
6. Dairy products
7. Honey and honey products 

Since its establishment in 2017 up to June 2024, Zamukana Ubuzirange Program has built capacity of more than 150 staff from various MSMEs working in animal products related value chains. Currently, MSMEs and 69 SMEs are being assisted to be certified.

Currently, 25 MSMEs in meat value chain, 4 in dairy industry and 5 in apiary are being facilitated to acquires certification on different food safety scheme namely HACCP and S-Mark; and some of these SMEs have reached the upper level of compliance.

2. Key applicable standards

Almost all the products under animal products related value chains have been standardized. Moreover, I order to assist producers and manufacturer to ensure their products meet the applicable specification and technical regulations, different code of practice, pre-requisite programs (PRP) and management systems standards were developed. 

The list below provides applicable cross cutting standards identified as key for quality and safety improvement in agro-processing and used when providing technical assistance to SMEs.

Cross cutting standards 

• RS ISO 22000 Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain
• RS 184, Food safety system management system based on HACCP — Requirements
• RS CAC/RCP1-1969, Code of practice — General Principles for Food Hygiene
• RS ISO 22002-1: Prerequisite programmes on food safety—Part 1: Food Manufacturing
• ISO 22005: 2007 Traceability in the feed and food chain—General principles and basic    requirements for system design and implementation
• RS EAS 38, Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods — Specification
• RS 340, Food processing machinery — Specification
• RS 289, Handling, processing and storage of poultry — Code of practice.
• RS 549-1 Chicken/poultry husbandry— Code of practice Part 1: Broilers and layers
• RS 201, Abattoir—basic requirements
• EAS 1137, Handling and transportation of slaughter animals — Requirements (First edition)
• EAS 1138, Design and operation of slaughterhouse — Requirements (First edition)
• RS 293, Milk collection center—basic requirements
• RS CAC/RCP 57:2004 Code of hygienic practice for milk and milk products.
• RS 550: 2023 Production, handling and transportation of eggs — Code of practice

Product standards 

1. Milk and milk products

• RS 194    Flavoured Milk — Specification
• RS 221    Cream and prepared creams — Specification
• RS 50-1    Cheese ― Part1: General Requirements
• RS 50-4    Cheese — Specification — Part 4: Processed cheese
• RS 50-8    Cheese — Specification — Part 8: Paneer cheese
• RS 50-9    Cheese — Specification — Part 9: Goat cheese
• RTS 50-10    Cheese — Specification — Part 10:  Mashanza
• RS 50-11    Cheese — Specification — Part 11: Feta Cheese
• RS 446    Low fat dairy ice cream and dairy ices — Specification
• RS EAS 22    Butter — Specification
• RS EAS 27    UHT milk — Specification
• RS EAS 33    Yoghurt — Specification 
• RS EAS 49    Milk powders and cream powder — Specification
• RS EAS 67    Raw cow milk — Specification 
• RS EAS 69    Pasteurized milk — Specification
• RS EAS 70    Dairy ice cream — Specification
• RS EAS 87    Sweetened condensed milk — Specification
• RS EAS 915    Ghee — Specification
• RS EAS 1008    Fermented (cultured) milk — Specification 
• RS EAS 1009    Gouda cheese — Specification 
• RS EAS 1010    Cottage cheese — Specification 
• RS EAS 1011    Cheddar cheese — Specification 
• RS EAS 1012    Mozzarella cheese — Specification 
• RS EAS 1013    Cream cheese — Specification 
   

2. Meat and meat products

• RS 487-1    Edible insects ‘products — Specification — Part 1: Whole insect and insect flour
• RS EAS 26    Canned corned beef — Specification
• RS EAS 84-1    Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 1: Beef grades and cuts
• RS EAS 953    Dressed poultry — Specification
• RS EAS 954    Meat sausages — Specification
• RS EAS 1026    Minced meat — Specification 
• RS EAS 1027    Bacon — Specification 
• RS EAS 1028    Ham — Specification 
• RS EAS 1029    Rabbit meat (carcass and cuts) — Specification 
• RS EAS 84-2    Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 2: Ovine
• RS EAS 84-3    Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 3: Pork
• RS EAS 84-3    Meat grades and meat cuts — Specification — Part 3: Pork
• RS EAS 1063    Dried meat — Specification
   

Do you want to purchase any of the above standards or any other relevant standard including product standards (Specifications), codes of practice or guidelines applicable to your product(s) or process(es)? Please click on: portal.rsb.gov.rw

3. Objectives of technical assistance to SMEs operating in value chains under the scope of agricultural products 

The prime goal for Zamukana Ubuziranenge (ZU) Program is to support SMEs in his journey toward S-Mark or System (HACCP and FSMS) certification. 
The certification requirements are found on the link below:

• S-Mark certification: www.rsb.gov.rw/certifications/product-certification
• System Certification (HACCP based on RS184 and FSMS based on RSISO22000) www.rsb.gov.rw/certifications/system-certification/introduction

4. The list of certified clients, products and systems is accessible through:

• S-Mark certified clients: www.rsb.gov.rw/certifications/directories/products-with-s-marks
• FSMS certified clients: www.rsb.gov.rw/certifications/directories/fsms-certified-company
• HACCP certified clients: www.rsb.gov.rw/certifications/directories/haccp-certified-companies 

5. How to reach out Zamukana Ubuziranenge Program for more information or application for Technical Assistance? 

• For more information on technical assistance provided under ZU program, send us an email to zamukana.ubuziranenge@rsb.gov.rw  or call 3250,
• Do you have a complaint, an enquiry, please click on:  https://portal.rsb.gov.rw/contacts.php
• Do you want to apply for Technical Assistance, fill in this form: forms.gle/6WwEhdBSxT2HF2Sj7