Quality Control Company Limited (QCC), a subsidiary of Cocobod has been granted accreditation by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), for inspection of cocoa activities and testing laboratory on pesticide residue.
The two quality certificates are ISO IEC 17020 and ISO IEC 17025.
These certifications come on the back of years of the export of quality cocoa beans from Ghana to the world market.
The Projects Manager, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Juan Pablo Davila Sanchez, speaking at the outdooring of the QCC’s Inspectorate Division Accreditation (IDA), commended QCC for successfully completing the accreditation process for their testing and inspectorate services, which makes them the first cocoa inspection body in West Africa to be accredited to international standards.
The certification process was sponsored by UNIDO.
Managing Director of the QCC, Nana Maxwell Kakari Addo said the international recognition is for the good work it does in cocoa inspection.
“It means we can be called upon to do inspection and standardization of cocoa in the sub-region,” he said.
The ISO certification makes the QCC the only company in the sub-region whose certification of cocoa beans is accepted globally.
Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Phillip Stalder, congratulated COCOBOD, saying these accreditations are achievements which mark a significant milestone for the Ghanaian cocoa industry.