Mr Kouadio ATTA, General Manager of the Laboratory VAGNY LAB

"I thank the PSQAO and look forward to its continued support. Being involved in its various activities and programs would enable us improve our service offerings. "Mr Kouadio ATTA, General Manager of the Laboratory VAGNY LAB

PSQAO - Mr General Manager, Could you please introduce your laboratory and give its fields of competence?

Kouadio ATTA - I would first of all like to thank the West Africa Quality System program which offers us the opportunity to introduce our laboratory through the skylight of its newsletter.

VAGNY-LAB is specializing in quality control of agri-food, industrial, and environmental products through microbiological, physico-chemical and biochemical tests.

We also have a training and consultancy firm in the following areas:  Food and industrial hygiene, Quality management, accreditation and certification process, Food processing, good laboratory practice, laboratory assembly, Proposal for water treatment, implementation of processing processes for tropical products (cashew, soybean, fish etc.).

VAGNY-LAB is created since 2001. About twenty (20) agents work at VAGNY-LAB distributed within two main entities: the administrative entity and the operational one.

The administrative entity is composed of the Manager, the General Manager, the Administration and Finance Manager, the Quality Manager, the Human Resources Manager, the Secretariat and the commercial service and support staff (guards, drivers, cleaners). With regard to the operational entity it is composed of the technical departments (Laboratory of Microbiology, Laboratory of physico-chemistry, the metrology service and the Cabinet).

PSQAO -Could you please substantiate on your accreditation? For which parameters and the reasons of these choices ?

Kouadio ATTA - Allow me to tell you that our entity is made of two accredited laboratories since July 2015: the laboratory of physico-chemistry and the one of microbiology.

The laboratory of the physico-chemistry is accredited for the parameters of pH, conductivity, TA, and TAC in the water matrix. As to the one of microbiology, it is accredited for the parameters GAM to 22°C and 36°C , Escherichia coli, Staphylococci, Intestinal enterococci, anaerobic sulfito reducer (ASR) in the water matrix. Also for the parameter Salmonella in the food matrix.

We decided to go to accreditation in order to meet the needs of the market being heard that Ivory Coast is an agriculture-based country, we have opted for the parameters of accreditation which corresponds to the reality of our economic fabric.

PSQAO -What is it that prompted you to go for accreditation? Do you regret that option?

Kouadio ATTA - The Laboratory VAGNY-LAB engaged in a process of accreditation of its two laboratories in the objective of guaranteeing the reliability of the test results sent to our clients. Today, I could say that VAGNY-LAB has no regret for having committed this approach of accreditation considering tha accreditation has strengthened the technical and organizational capacities of the laboratory.

PSQAO -How do you assess the assistance you have been bringing to economic operators who solicit your services when exporting to demanding foreign markets?

 

Kouadio ATTA - The feedback from our clients is very encouraging. It even motivated us to always go further in improving services we offer. For sure you are aware that tests that are made by our economic operators are generally checked by their counterparts abroad. This situation is such as to oblige economic operators to seek out laboratories which can provide them with reliable results which would not suffer any opposition from their partners.

For several years we have settled, I must say that our biggest reward is precisely this favorable return that we have from our clients who judge our services of excellence quality.

PSQAO -The West Africa Quality System Program (WAQSP) works in the establishment of a robust quality infrastructure in West Africa. To what extent could you envisage a future collaboration with this Program and what do you think it could bring to the development of your activities?

Kouadio ATTA - To tell truth, our laboratory has got very little collaboration with the PSQAO so far. Essentially we have functioned on our own funds and belong to no umbrella organization. However we place great hope in this Program especially with the visit that we have received from a team of journalists of ECOWAS leaded by the PSQAO. We hope to be associated with various activities and programs that could enable us improve our offer of services.

We still have various needs and we rely on the support of the Program.

PSQAO -What is your last word towards public and private sectors ?

Kouadio ATTA - As I mentioned, we have evolved to date on our own funds with little outside support.

We are waiting for the attention of the public authorities to ensure compliance with regulations governing the quality control of consumer products intended for marketing and export. This would not prejudice the parties.

This appeal also applies to the actors of the private sector. Soliciting an accredited laboratory is a guarantee of reliability of your test results. In the interest of their trade relations, they should not hesitate to contact us in order for us to accompany them.

I would like to conclude by saying thank you to the WAQSP which gives us the opportunity of this interview. I wish you full success in this Program and I hope for the weeks and months to come the opportunity to work more intensely with you.

If you allow me, we are located in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and our contacts are:

Laboratory VAGNY LAB

Tel : (+225) 22 50 30 52

                   (+225) 07 89 30 82

E-mail : vagnylab@yahoo.fr

This program is funded by the European Union with the technical support of UNIDO, the implementing Agency

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Commision of the European Union

Copyright - 2019 - ECOWAS AGENCY FOR QUALITY

Mr Kouadio ATTA, General Manager of the Laboratory VAGNY LAB | ECOWAQ

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