Cambodia, Helen Keller International Strengthen Cooperation on Food Standards and Nutrition

PHNOM PENH, March 8, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia is deepening cooperation with Helen Keller International to improve food safety, nutrition standards and the development of the country’s food systems, officials said Thursday.

Industry Minister Hem Vanndy met with Shawn Baker in Phnom Penh to discuss expanding collaboration on nutrition standards and strengthening Cambodia’s food safety framework.

The talks underscored the long-standing partnership between Cambodia and Helen Keller International, including support for drafting national nutrition product standards for children aged six to 36 months.

Vanndy briefed the delegation on Cambodia’s progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, noting that further efforts are needed to accelerate targets such as access to clean water, industrial development and quality infrastructure.

“Cambodia has adopted more than 1,000 national standards, which remains modest compared with international standards,” Vanndy said. He added that the country takes a pragmatic approach by adopting international benchmarks such as those of the International Organization for Standardization and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, while prioritizing implementation by domestic industries.

Baker praised Cambodia’s efforts to strengthen nutrition through food system transformation, highlighting the potential of agricultural products such as rice and cashew nuts as high-quality raw materials for nutritious food production. He said stronger standards and compliance would help connect farmers, processors and manufacturers, while ensuring wider access to nutritious food products.

The minister welcomed Helen Keller International’s proposal to explore mechanisms that could help enterprises producing nutritious food gain access to financing and incentives.

He also pointed to ongoing efforts to support Cambodia’s food processing industry, including the Cambodia-Korea Food Processing Technology Center, the National Laboratory for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as electron beam and X-ray food irradiation to improve food safety and product quality.