President ratifies Food Safety Act

Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday, has ratified the Food Safety Act (Act No. 6/2024).

The parliament passed the bill at the twenty-sixth sitting of its first session this year on Monday, May 13, 2024.

The Food Safety Act provides a comprehensive framework for the regulation of food safety, and ensures all food products, whether locally produced, imported, or exported are devoid of harmful substances and comply with established standards.

Moreover, the Act outlines the procedures and standards for food safety, which must be adhered by all the stakeholders in the food industry. Besides this, it also prescribes the necessary procedures and standards to ensure food items are safe for human consumption.

The primary objective of the Act is to establish standards for various aspects of food production and preparation to ensure food safety.

The Act covers food safety standards with regards to packaging, labelling, preservation, storage, trade, supply, and distribution as well.

Additionally, the act outlines the standards and licensing requirements for businesses involved in the food industry, and specifies hygiene standards for the people engaged in food processing operations to comply with in order to guarantee food safety.