The Economic Development Board of Mauritius (EDB), host agency of the ITC SheTrades Mauritius Hub, held a workshop entitled “Navigating Compliance and Export Opportunities in the Food Industry” at its Head Office on Thursday, 23rd April 2026.
Designed as a springboard for growth, the workshop equipped participants with market insights, practical tools to meet international standards and strategies to scale their food businesses beyond borders.
In her opening remarks, Mrs Nirmala Jeetah, Director of the Healthcare & Life Sciences, ITC SheTrades Mauritius Hub at the Economic Development Board, highlighted the importance of strengthening the participation of women entrepreneurs in international trade, particularly, in the food sector, where opportunities for value addition and export expansion continue to rise.
The event also marked the official go-live of the Passage Export Group platform, a gateway enabling businesses to unlock export opportunities, better understand procedures and position Mauritian food products at a global level. Mrs Jeetah highlighted that through such initiatives, businesses can build capacity, ensure consistency in quality and meet the demands of increasingly sophisticated markets.
In her remarks, Mrs Rehema Koylash, Chairperson of the National Women Entrepreneur Council, further reinforced the need for strong support systems to empower women-led businesses to compete internationally and highlighted initiatives such as the Passage Export Group platform as key catalysts for economic development.
Mrs. Jessica Naga, Group Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Samim Mohabuth, Head of Technology at the Mindex Group, introduced participants to the use of stablecoins as an alternative payment solution for SMEs. Their intervention demystified the use of digital financial tools, highlighting how businesses can seamlessly send and receive cross-border payments in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.
Participants were also guided through the onboarding process on the Mindex platform, gaining practical insights into how such innovative solutions can enhance financial inclusion and facilitate international trade operations for small and medium-sized enterprises.
From a regulatory and compliance standpoint, Mr Baichoo, Head of the Chemical Unit at the Mauritius Standards Bureau, provided an overview of food safety and export compliance requirements. He detailed the standards governing the labelling of prepackaged food addressing key aspects such as ingredient lists, net content and drained weight. Complementing on Mr Baichoo’s insights, Mr Kanaksabee, Head of Quality Assurance Unit at the Mauritius Standards Bureau, elaborated on food safety management systems, highlighting certification processes and frameworks that enable organisations to identify, control and mitigate food safety risks while maintaining high-quality standards.
The workshop also featured a presentation by Mrs Sachita Jawaheer, Ag. Senior Scientific Officer, National Plant Protection Office (NPPO) at the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries. She outlined key phytosanitary requirements and export procedures for plant-based products. She emphasised compliance with the regulations of importing countries and the critical role of safeguarding agricultural exports to prevent pests, maintain market access and ensure safe international trade.
Ms. Theesa Auckloo, Lead Officer at SME Mauritius, highlighted key grant programmes aimed at enhancing innovation, market readiness, sustainability and competitiveness, enabling SMEs to scale, modernise and access new market opportunities.
Through this workshop, the SheTrades Mauritius Hub reaffirmed its commitment in strengthening export readiness and innovation-led growth for women-led businesses.
To continue benefiting from opportunities, events and resources of the hub, women entrepreneurs are encouraged to register on the SheTrades Mauritius Platform via the following link.
