Tafadzwa Mkungunugwa
BSc Hon, MSc
Laboratory Technical & Business Support Technician
Food and Markets Department
Tafadzwa is a highly skilled professional with a strong technical background in laboratory operations, food safety, and quality assurance, with extensive experience in ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
He started his career as a Microbiologist in a food laboratory in Zimbabwe in 2008, progressed to Quality Assurance Manager and Laboratory Manager over a period of 14 years. He was responsible for the day to day running of the laboratory, development & implementation of laboratory Management systems (ISO 17025) as well as preparing and management of budgets (CAPEX, Recurrent). Tafadzwa’s interest and exposure led him into food safety management system training and auditing. He was involved in food safety, including HACCP, training and certification audits with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe from 2011 to 2022. Being a recognised lead auditor also contributed to my registration with the Southern African Development Accreditation Services (SADCAS) as a Food Safety and HACCP Technical Expert in 2022. He was a technical Committee member of the Zimbabwe Food Standards Advisory Board from 2015 to 2022 and was Chairperson of the SADCWATER laboratories PT scheme from 2017 to 2022.
Since moving to the UK, Tafadzwa has worked in technical roles within the private sector, implementing food safety and hygiene management systems. Between June 2022 and January 2025, he worked in both the fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable industry and the bakery sector before joining NRI in February 2025.
He has a strong interest in food safety, particularly in research related to mycotoxins
- Provide technical support to Departmental staff working on grants and contracts in the laboratory and occasionally in the field.
- Conduct laboratory inductions and training for new staff and students.
- Conduct biannual Health and Safety laboratory inspections.
- Ensure the appropriate use of laboratory facilities and compliance with health and safety requirements by staff and students.
- Ensure routine procedures e.g. calibration and monitoring of equipment are performed according to schedule
- Support student practical classes.
- Assist in the maintenance of the chemical database.
- Maintain stock culture collections of bacteria and fungi.
- Maintain all equipment records
- Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon Obtained from Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) Nutshell - Mkungunugwa - 2021 - Journal of Chemistry - Wiley Online Library
- The potential of utilizing Provitamin A‐biofortified maize in producing mutwiwa, a Zimbabwean traditional fermented food - Chawafambira - 2021 - Food Science & Nutrition - Wiley Online Library
- Effect of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Yoba Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties, Amino Acids, and Antioxidant Activity of Cowpea‐Peanut Milk - Chawafambira - 2022 - Journal of Food Quality - Wiley Online Library
Tafadzwa is a highly skilled professional with a strong technical background in laboratory operations, food safety, and quality assurance, with extensive experience in ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
He started his career as a Microbiologist in a food laboratory in Zimbabwe in 2008, progressed to Quality Assurance Manager and Laboratory Manager over a period of 14 years. He was responsible for the day to day running of the laboratory, development & implementation of laboratory Management systems (ISO 17025) as well as preparing and management of budgets (CAPEX, Recurrent). Tafadzwa’s interest and exposure led him into food safety management system training and auditing. He was involved in food safety, including HACCP, training and certification audits with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe from 2011 to 2022. Being a recognised lead auditor also contributed to my registration with the Southern African Development Accreditation Services (SADCAS) as a Food Safety and HACCP Technical Expert in 2022. He was a technical Committee member of the Zimbabwe Food Standards Advisory Board from 2015 to 2022 and was Chairperson of the SADCWATER laboratories PT scheme from 2017 to 2022.
Since moving to the UK, Tafadzwa has worked in technical roles within the private sector, implementing food safety and hygiene management systems. Between June 2022 and January 2025, he worked in both the fresh and frozen fruit and vegetable industry and the bakery sector before joining NRI in February 2025.
He has a strong interest in food safety, particularly in research related to mycotoxins
- Provide technical support to Departmental staff working on grants and contracts in the laboratory and occasionally in the field.
- Conduct laboratory inductions and training for new staff and students.
- Conduct biannual Health and Safety laboratory inspections.
- Ensure the appropriate use of laboratory facilities and compliance with health and safety requirements by staff and students.
- Ensure routine procedures e.g. calibration and monitoring of equipment are performed according to schedule
- Support student practical classes.
- Assist in the maintenance of the chemical database.
- Maintain stock culture collections of bacteria and fungi.
- Maintain all equipment records
- Synthesis and Characterisation of Activated Carbon Obtained from Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) Nutshell - Mkungunugwa - 2021 - Journal of Chemistry - Wiley Online Library
- The potential of utilizing Provitamin A‐biofortified maize in producing mutwiwa, a Zimbabwean traditional fermented food - Chawafambira - 2021 - Food Science & Nutrition - Wiley Online Library
- Effect of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Yoba Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties, Amino Acids, and Antioxidant Activity of Cowpea‐Peanut Milk - Chawafambira - 2022 - Journal of Food Quality - Wiley Online Library