Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has implemented the Food Safety Act, aiming to enhance food safety and security. The act was ratified by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on May 23.
Despite the influx of complaints alleging that the MFDA fails to exert maximum efforts to ensure food safety, prior to the enactment of the Food Safety Act, the agency lacked the necessary authority to monitor food production facilities and take appropriate action if the hygiene requirements were not met. As such, it did not have the authority to broadly monitor facilities apart from registered businesses, café's, hotels and restaurants.
However, the implementation of the Act, gives MFDA the legal authority to monitor and approve food production facilities and markets, and take actions against the facilities which do not meet the hygienic standards set. It additionally mandates the MFDA to establish a system which monitors the implementation of the Act. While MFDA has the authority to take legal action against food production operating against the law, relevant authorities have urged all individuals to provide information of such places to the authority or the Ministry of Health.
The Act will strengthen the quality and the labelling of food produced and sold by households. It allows MFDA to identify and monitor the place of food preparation and the individual as well. The health ministry has also revealed plans to issue licences to households selling food items. Arrangements have also been made to register the foreigners working in café's and hotels and conduct awareness programmes for them regarding cleanliness.
Furthermore, the law has facilitated extensive efforts to ensure food safety. The Minister of Health Dr. Abdulla Khaleel is responsible for the implementation of the Act and ensure that adequate resources and are provided to do so. Additionally, Councils are responsible for the implementation of the Act in their respective islands and atolls.
Under the Act, a ten-member National Food Safety and Quality Board must be created, including a relevant authority. Additionally, a National Health Laboratory must be established, capable of conducting all food-related tests and analyses. The Act also authorises the MFDA to establish guidelines ensuring that tests which cannot be conducted in the Maldives can be carried out either in another local laboratory or at referral laboratories abroad.
The government has affirmed that the implementation of the Act will undoubtedly ensure food safety in the country. It has urged for public cooperation, encouraged reporting matters to relevant authorities instead of sharing on social media.