Food Safety Commission

Established by article 5 of the Food Safety Act, 2002

(Act XIV 0f 2002)

Functions of the Food Safety Commission

The duty of the Commission is to monitor, co-ordinate and keep under review all practices, operations and activities relating to food and for this purpose it shall:

(a)  effectively apply the precautionary principal when a significant risk to consumers is identified or reasonably suspected;

(b)  monitor the enforcement of any relevant legislation, standards and practices in relation to food business, food premises and persons operating in the food business;

(c)  administer an efficient and effective system for rapid alert, product recall and product withdrawal in order to protect the consumer from any risk that may have identified or suspected for products already available to the consumer;

(d)  do all such things as may be necessary to ensure that international obligations entered into by the Government on all matters relating to food are complied with;

(e)  formulate and implement policies and strategies with short-term and long-term objectives, in relation to all matters relating to food, including the development of a national surveillance and enforcement plan for food safety and to ensure the effective, transparent and comprehensive implementation of such plan;

(f)  give advice to the Minister on any matter relating to food either at the request of the Minister or, when it deems it appropriate, without such request;

(g)  carry out studies, research or investigation on any matter relating to food and for such purpose shall require the submission of any information and shall analyse and interpret any data or information submitted to it;

(h)  ensure that proper records and registers are kept to ensure that persons responsible for any food products may be identified;

(i)  issue such guidelines as may be necessary in relation of food safety;

(j)  consider and keep under review the efficacy of food safety practices being adopted from time to time and make a report theron at least annually to the Minister;

(k)  carry out such other functions as the Minister may prescribe by regulations; and

(l)  carry out such other duties as may be conductive to the better performance of its functions under this Act.