Parliament Approves Food Safety Bill After Three-Year Process

The Parliament of Maldives has passed the Food Safety Bill into law yesterday, after three years since the initial introduction. 

Introduced during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration in 2021, the bill underwent thorough scrutiny by the parliament’s Committee of Social Affairs over the course of three years, marking it as the lengthiest study of any bill during the 19th Parliament.

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The culmination of this legislative process occurred during the final sitting of the 19th Parliament, where the former ruling party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) held the majority.

The core focus of the bill revolves around establishing stringent standards and regulations for food safety concerning imports and exports within the Maldives. It encompasses a spectrum of aspects including food production, import and export procedures, preparation methods, packaging requirements, labelling specifications, storage conditions, and transportation protocols within the country.

Moreover, it sets forth a legal framework to govern policies and standards, ensuring the health and safety aspects of food throughout its production, storage, and handling within sales outlets.

Upon its enforcement, relevant authorities will be tasked with formulating regulations concerning search and seizure procedures for testing purposes, as well as issuing recalls and bans on the sale of food items found to be non-compliant with the stipulated regulations.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that food manufacturers and sellers must register and adhere to specified requirements. It also includes provisions regarding inspections of food service providers, along with measures to be taken against entities failing to maintain cleanliness and safety standards.

During the committee stage, amendments were made to the bill, resulting in increased fines for violations once it becomes effective. As per the amendment, fines could range from MVR 10,000 to MVR 75,000 depending on the severity of the breach.

With its passage in the Parliament, the bill now awaits ratification from the President before being officially gazetted and implemented as law.