Maldives Food Safety Policy

NATIONAL
FOOD SAFETY POLICY

(2017 - 2026)
Maldives Food and Drug Authority

Ministry of Health
No: Policy/23-MoH/2017/02
06 April 2017
National Food Safety Policy 2017-2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS
FOREWORD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
2 SITUATION ANALYSIS
2.1 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR FOOD CONTROL
2.2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS FOR FOOD SAFETY
2.3 PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

AGREEMENTS
3 RATIONALE FOR A FOOD SAFETY POLICY
4 THE POLICY
4.1 POLICY VISION
4.2 SCOPE OF THE POLICY
4.3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
4.4 POLICY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED
4.4.1 Legislation
4.4.2 Coordination of the Food Safety Function
4.4.3 Risk Analysis
4.4.4 Participation in International Meetings and the Implementation of Agreements
4.4.5 Surveillance/Epidemiology
4.4.6 Laboratories for Food Safety Analysis
4.4.7 Monitoring of Food Production and Distribution Systems
4.4.8 Safety of Imported Food for Consumption
4.4.9 National Food Safety Emergency Response Systems
4.4.10 Public Awareness and Education
4.4.11 Research
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4.5 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
5 IMPLEMENTATION
6 FINANCING
7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1 Leading ministry/department for each food control activity in Maldives
APPENDIX 2 Maldives Health Master Plan and food safety
APPENDIX 3 Plan of Action with Timeline
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
AMR Antimicrobial resistance

CAC Codex Alimentarius Commission
CTF Codex Trust Fund
DHE Department of Higher Education
EPA Environment Protection Agency
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GATT General Agreement on Trade and Tariff
GAP Good Agricultural Practice
HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
HPA Health Protection Agency
HSD Regional and Atoll Health Services Department
IGMH Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
IHR International Health Regulations
INFOSAN International Network of Food Safety Authorities
ISO International Organization for Standardization
MCS Maldives Customs Service
MED Ministry of Economic Development
MEE Ministry of Environment and Energy
MOFA Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
MFDA Maldives Food and Drug Authority
MIA Ministry of Islamic Affairs
MHI Ministry of Housing and Infrastructures
MNCCI Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
MNDF Maldives National Defense Force
MNU Maldives National University
MOE Ministry of Education
MOH Ministry of Health
MOT Ministry of Tourism
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPL Maldives Port Limited
MWSC Male’ Water and Sewerage Company
NCIT National Centre for Information Technology
NDMC National Disaster Management Centre
NHL National Health Laboratory
NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations
OIE World Organization for Animal Health
PPR Peste des Petits Ruminants
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
TBT Technical Barriers to Trade
TRIPS Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
US United States
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
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FOREWORD
Food safety needs to be ensured by protecting the food

supply from microbial, chemical and physical hazards that
may occur during all stages of food production, including
growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, retailing,
distributing, preparing, storing and consumption. Well-
developed food safety systems contribute to improved
public health, increased access to food trade, increased food
security and the protection of the environment.
The National Food Safety Policy 2017-2026 is the key

document in strengthening the Food Safety Control system
in the Maldives. Five components of Food Safety Control
system are being managed by different stakeholders in a
random manner. A country heavily depending on imported
food with fast developing agriculture sector is greatly in
need of a systematic approach to manage Food Safety Control.
The scope of this policy cover all aspects of national, regional, and international practices,
principles, guidelines, standards and agreements governing food safety systems. The policy
includes all public and private entities involved in the technical, operational and management
aspects of food safety and control systems in the Maldives.
In order to achieve integrated food safety and control management, the policy is carefully
formulated taking into account the five pillars of Food Safety control Management namely:, Food
Law, Regulation and standards, Inspection Services, Laboratory services, Monitoring and
Training.
This policy has been developed with collaboration and consultative effort by national
stakeholders including governmental and non- governmental stakeholders.
The formulation of policy was generously funded by WHO, so I would like to take this
opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to WHO Maldives for their continuous support. My
appreciation also goes to all stakeholders for their contribution during consultative process.
I would like to highlight the key role and contributions by the staff of MFDA, for the successful
completion.
This policy will enable the successful improvement and implementation of food safety related
issues, including import, locally produced and export of food in the country.
Furthermore, I am confident that this policy and its implementation would improve the food
safety, including local, import and export food which would contribute to the health and well-
being of our people.
Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim
Minister of Health
5
FOREWORD
Development of the National Food Safety Policy: 2017-2026

in the Maldives is a very important milestone and step
forward. Food safety is central to every one of us and the
policy will support and coordinate response for this work in
the country.
Following a truly “One Health approach”; I am pleased that

Ministry of Health and Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) led
the development of the policy in consultation with the key
experts and coordinating with several stakeholders including
other such as Ministries of Fisheries and Agriculture,
Economic Development, Port Authorities, State Trading
Organization, WHO, FAO, civil society and the private sectors.
Globalization and liberalization of markets have created

greater food safety challenges. Governments are now
required to comply with several measures in order to satisfy
trade requirements. Maldives is heavily reliant on imported food. As other small island
countries, Maldives is vulnerable to the impact of climate change which may affect food security,
food safety and nutrition. Apart from the suffering caused by unsafe food, the economic
consequences may be enormous. The public is increasingly aware of the risks of unsafe food,
thus food safety is becoming a first priority for consumers.
The food safety spans from ensuring food production to proper handling, preparation, storage
and distribution to ensure prevention of food borne illnesses and outbreaks. I am sure Maldives
commitment to International Health Regulation, close networking with CODEX Alimentarius
and INFOSAN will further advance these efforts. The policy is well thought of, addresses
different aspects of the operation of the food system from place of production to consumption
and attempts to address the key programmatic gaps.
WHO Country Office for Maldives considers it a matter of great privilege for extending technical
assistance to the Ministry of Health for development of the Food Safety Policy. I encourage
preparation of strategic and costed operation plan based on the similar “One Health” approach
and as a trusted and reliable partner; I assure continued support of WHO for its implementation,
review and monitoring.
Dr Arvind Mathur
WHO Representative to Maldives
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Maldives is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Maldives joined
standard setting organizations recognized by WTO namely Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CAC), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and International Plant Protection
Convention (IPPC).
Traditionally, fishing has been the main agriculture activity which is the main source of animal
protein and major source of national income till eighties. There was a tendency to establish
private commercial poultry and agriculture farms especially in uninhabited islands in the past
one decade to meet growing demand of fruits, vegetables and poultry eggs. Maldives is a net
importer of food and food products as 95% of food consumed in Maldives are imported.
Tourism is the main source of national economy which contributes 32.7% of the gross domestic
product (GDP). The need to promote economic diversification in the Maldives was realized in
the aftermath of the Tsunami of December 2004 to lessen its vulnerability to external shocks
from tourism and fisheries. The risk of entry, establishment and spread of exotic diseases and
pests is also increasing in the context of globalization of agricultural and livestock trade.
Globalization and liberalization of markets have created greater food safety challenges.
Governments are now required to comply with the sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures in
order to satisfy trade requirements. There is currently inadequate capacity and capability to
respond effectively to the globalization of food trade. The Sustainable Development Goals are
charting a path towards meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. In addition to SDG 2 on 'End hunger, achieve food security
and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture', several other SDGs that relate to
food safety include health, poverty, gender equality, water and sanitation, responsible
production and consumption, and climate change. As other small island countries, Maldives is
vulnerable to the impact of climate change which may affect food security, food safety and
nutrition. The Maldives is committed to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Currently, there is no specific food safety policy in Maldives. The formulation of a food safety
policy is important for policy direction and proper national regulatory framework. Meetings
with relevant key stakeholders were conducted to assess the food safety scenario and identify
the agencies involved in different components of the food control system. Emphases were made
on roles and mandates of each agency, legal basis of their work, existing coordination
mechanism, as well as areas of concern and how those could be addressed.
It was found that components in food safety that need to be strengthened include: legislation
and enforcement; food control and inspection programmes of locally-produced and imported
foods; foodborne diseases surveillance programme; and participation in food safety activities of
consumer and stakeholders in food chain. Since food safety activities are fragmented in the
Maldives, it is important to clearly define role and responsibility of each institution to avoid
duplication of efforts and overlapping of functions. The post-marketing monitoring and
surveillance programmes including traceability and recall systems, as well as training,
education and research on food safety are the lacking components that need to be established.
Capacity building is needed both in terms of infrastructure, and number and skill of food safety
personnel. There are some overlaps and gaps in the responsibility of agencies involved in food
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safety activities which needs to be sorted out. Coordination and information sharing among
agencies involved in each activity thus should be strengthened.
Food Safety by its very nature must be considered one of shared responsibility – government,
private sector and public. The establishment of a high level Inter-Ministerial Food Safety
Committee and a functional National Codex Committee have been proposed for policy and
technical guidance and better coordination and collaboration among major stakeholders.
The initial draft document was developed in 2015 under WHO technical assistance. The
National Food Safety Policy of Maldives is based on multi-sectoral, integrated farm-to-fork
approach, considering the culture/traditional/religious practices and country’s context
perspective. Four policy goals were proposed to address the needs to: (i) ensure safety, healthy
and quality of food supply throughout the food chain; (ii) strengthen national food safety
framework, implementation of food control activities, and coordination among responsible
agencies; (iii) promote awareness and participation of consumer and stakeholders in the food
chain; and (iv) build capacity and enhance capability of training, education and research on food
safety. Objectives of each goal were identified. The strategic approaches of each objective were
also specified along with the proposed agencies to be responsible for each approach. The plan of
actions with specified timeframe and coordinating mechanisms for each strategic activity has
been further developed through a consultative process. A stakeholder consultation workshop
was conducted in October 2016 to obtain comments and concerns on the policy document,
which has been incorporated.
The Policy is planned to be implemented within a 10 year period with sufficient budget, human
and other resources made available and working with all stakeholders in a coordinated manner.
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1 INTRODUCTION
Geography, administration, and socio-economic aspects
The Republic of Maldives is a sovereign island country represented as a chain of islands in the
southern part of the Indian Ocean. It is located southwest of India and Sri Lanka in the Laccadive
Sea, the country is comprised of 26 natural atolls spreading over 90,000 sq km with a total of
1,192 coral islands, of which 188 are inhabited. Maldives is a republic state, with the President
as head of government and head of state. All islands are divided into 20 administrative atolls.
The total population is estimated to be 344,023 as of 2014 of which 44.6% residing in urban
areas. Human population is scattered in islands and Male is the capital city with highest human
population density. Almost 80% of inhabited islands have a population of less than 1,000. The
population is young one, with 47% below 25 years of age and the average population growth
rate is 3.4 per cent per annum. Life expectancy for men is 73.13 and that for women is 74.77.
The literacy rate is estimated at 98%.
The Maldives has a faster economic growth rate with booming tourism industry which demands
huge number of migrant workers and skilled expatriates. The Maldives is a popular destination
for international travelers and a total of 1 million tourists visit Maldives annually. Tourism is the
main source of national economy which contributes 25.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
National GDP reached 6,665 US dollars in 2013.
The Maldives was a member of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) and
therefore become automatically a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in1995. The
Maldives is now a member of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE) and International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) which are recognized
by World Trade Organization as standard-setting organizations. Maldives became 172nd
member in November 2007 and 176th of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in March 2008.
The Maldives is still not a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
In recent years, the Maldives has gone through political instability, decentralization and
dramatic policy changes in health sector which weakened the administrative and technical
capacity for regulation of food safety standards.
Agriculture, food production and trade
Traditionally, fishing has been the main agriculture activity which is the main source of animal
protein and major source of national income till eighties. The contribution of fisheries in GDP
has been declining to 6-7% in recent years. The fisheries products include pelagic fish namely
skipjack tuna and yellow fin tuna. The total fish production was 95,000 tons in 2010 and all of
which was from harvested from Indian Ocean. Export values of fishery products reached 71
million US dollars in 2010 with an import value of 11 million US dollars.
The Maldives has already experienced stringent measures taken for food safety and quality
assurance by the European Commission so that tuna fish and its products have access to the
European market. The European Union (EU) helped Maldives to establish an accredited
laboratory for exportable fish and fish products.
The need to promote economic diversification in the Maldives was realized in the aftermath of
the Tsunami of December 2004. There is a need to lessen its vulnerability to external shocks
from tourism and fisheries, which together account for almost 40 percent of GDP. There was a
tendency to establish private commercial poultry and agriculture farms especially in
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uninhabited islands in past one decade to meet growing demand of fruits, vegetables and
poultry eggs. It has led to importation of cow dung, chemical fertilizer and pesticides. The
pesticide import increased from 0.58 million US dollars in 2002 to 1.57 million in 2012. Value of
total agricultural and food production in 2012 was US dollars 10 million. The top commodities
production quantities are bananas and coconuts (Table 1).
Table 1 Top ten commodities production quantity, 2012
Commodity Quantity (tons)

1 Banana 7,500
2 Coconuts 4,106
3 Vegetables 2,500
4 Fruit 2,500
5 Roots and tubers 2,350
6 Nuts 2,144
7 Papayas 1,100
8 Meat 840
9 Chillies and peppers, green 250
10 Tomatoes 155
Source: FAO Statistics Division (http://www.faostat.fao.org)
The Maldives is a net importer of food and food products as 95% of food consumed in Maldives
are imported, including sources of macronutrients, i.e., carbohydrates, protein and fat. Wheat
flour, refined sugar, and non-alcoholic beverages are among top commodities import quantity
(Table 2).
Table 2 Top ten commodities import quantity, 2011
Commodity Quantity (tons)

1 Wheat flour 19,077
2 Sugar, refined 9,360
3 Beverage, non-alcoholic 9,249
4 Onion, dry 6,956
5 Chicken meat 6,847
6 Vegetable oils 6,806
7 Fruit juice 5,239
8 Hen eggs, in shell 5,229
9 Potatoes 4,692
10 Food preparations 4,083
The risk of entry, establishment and spread of exotic diseases and pest is also increasing in the
context of globalization of agricultural and livestock trade. The Maldives has imported citrus
canker and rhinoceros beetle through importation of sapling and PPR (Goat plague) through
importation of goats from enzootic countries. The custom and trader consider economic benefit
without understanding potential threat of importing disease or pest. The authenticity of
veterinary health or plant health certificates cannot be verified but entry of disease or pest
proves falsified nature of document.
Food consumption pattern
The per capita food supply in 2011 was 2,722 kcal per capita per day, consisting 65 g protein
and 110 g fat. The availability of commodities for consumption is presented in
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Table 3.
Table 3 Top ten commodities availability for consumption, 2011
Commodity Quantity (kcal/capita/day)

1 Wheat and products 562
2 Rice, milled 499
3 Sugar, raw 336
4 Pelagic fish 259
5 Milk, excluding butter 186
6 Nuts and products 89
7 Coconut oil 83
8 Marine fish, other 82
9 Poultry meat 44
10 Fruits, other 43
The food consumption pattern is greatly influenced by attractive advertisement of food traders
and there is a growing trend of importing energy drinks and so called healthy drinks which lead
to obesity. The popularity of junk food among children is another public health issue of concern.
Fortunately importation of baby milk substitute is regulated in the Maldives.
Health status
The Maldives is a country that has achieved the Millennium Development Goals in many aspects.
The under-five mortality rate has decreased from 94 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 10 in 2013.
Maternal mortality ration drastically decreases from 430 per 100,000 live births at the baseline
to 31 in 2013. Almost the entire population has been reported as using improved drinking
water sources and sanitation facilities in 2013. The country’s achievement in such indicators is
better than any other country of the South-East Asia Region. In 2013, diarrhoea has been
reported to cause 1% of deaths in children under-five. The stunting rate of children aged under-
five decreased from 30% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2010. However, the country is facing
obesity and the challenge lifestyle related diseases. As of 2008, 25% of adult aged over 25 has
raised blood pressure. Around 6% of male and 26% of female aged over 20 are obese.
Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers are among the top leading causes of death,
accounting for about 40% of the total deaths in both male and female in 2012. Burden of
cardiovascular diseases and diabetes; maternal, neonatal nutritional, and cancer are among the
top in terms of disability-adjusted life years.
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2 SITUATION ANALYSIS
2.1 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR FOOD CONTROL
Food control and management is an integrated system in Maldives as many stakeholders are
involved at each point along the food chain, as shown in Error! Reference source not found..
Figure 1 Food control and management system, Maldives
Source: Maldives Food and Drug Authority
Leading ministry/department for each food control activity is listed in Appendix 1.
The Maldives Food and Drug Authority
The MFDA is responsible for issuing hygiene certificate for fishing vessel, which is conducted in
accordance with the renewal of fishing license. The MFDA performs regular inspection of the
factories and issuing the health certificate of the product for exporting to EU and other countries.
The factories are audited routinely by the MFDA, i.e., every 6 months for those exporting to EU
countries and once a year for the others. The MFDA conducts an assessment to quality
controllers based on HACCP principles prior to their approval to work in fish processing
facilities.
Recently, the MFDA has drafted, together with the Agriculture Division of MOFA, the Good
Agriculture Practices (GAP) standard for fruits and vegetables, with the technical assistant from
a consultant under FAO support, by adopting that of SAARC-GAP as the voluntary standard for
safe agricultural production. The draft is currently under revision according to the country’s
12
context by the technical committee which includes key stakeholders. GAP certification is also
proposed to be the responsibility of the MFDA. The MFDA, as well as other MOH agencies, has
delegated food safety related tasks to the public health units at atoll and island levels.
The Fisheries Division
The Safety of fishery, agricultural production, livestock, and post-harvest production is

controlled majorly by MOFA and MFDA. For fishery, Fisheries Division of MOFA is responsible
for the registration, licensing, and monitoring of fishing vessels, which has to be renewed every
year, as well as the issuance of catch certificates. The Fisheries Division also implements several
national standards on fisheries, by adopting Codex standards on fisheries and fisheries products.
The Agriculture Division
The Agriculture Division of MOFA is responsible for animal health, quarantine and sanitary and
phytosanitary measures (SPS). They conduct farm registration and inspection, however on a
voluntary basis. They also perform registration and licensing for the imports of agrochemicals,
i.e., fertilizers and pesticides. However, the health clearance of imported agrochemicals is
conducted by Medicine and Therapeutic Goods Division of MFDA. However, the issuance of
import license falls under the authority of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF). For the
control at atoll level, the authority of MOFA is delegated to Local Councils. MOFA also provides
technical guidance to farmers and extension on the production to increase productivity and on
the implementation standards at farm level.
Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of fresh food
The safety of fresh produces and products from primary processing is controlled by MFDA, HPA,
MOFA, MCS, and MED. The safety of fresh food imported to Maldives at seaports and airport was
controlled by International Border Health Unit of HPA and the inspection on imported food is
under the responsibility of MFDA since November 2015. Inspection however based only on
documents, e.g., Health Certificate, Veterinary Health Certificate, Halal Certificate, and
Certificate of Origin, required for specific food items. Minimal physical inspection, e.g.,
temperature check and visual observation, has been performed. No sampling is conducted for
laboratory analysis of fresh food, except in case of complaints. The International Border Health
Unit is also responsible for monitoring of sanitation and temperature of the cold storage at the
airport and sea cargoes according to the standards and guidelines for food storage condition
and facilities mentioned in MFDA’s Standards for Maintaining Food Safety and Quality of
Products during Storage. MCS also conducts inspection as a part of the customs clearance
procedure. MFDA works in coordination with MED on the regulation for food trade.
There is no existing standard and system for monitoring of locally-produced fresh food for local
consumption. The pesticide residue monitoring programme is lacking as well as the capability of
laboratory for analysing pesticide residue in agricultural produces. The NHL provides histamine
analysis service for government and industry for exportable fish and fish products.
Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of processed food
The safety of processed food is controlled and monitored primarily by MFDA and HPA. MFDA is
responsible for the registration and licensing of food processing factories. Registration and
license for manufacturers of food products for local consumption are mandatory but currently
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not regulated or systematized. The inspections are conducted by MFDA inspectors at central
and delegated to public health units in other areas of the country. For pre-marketing evaluation
of packaged food, there is National Standard for Labelling Prepackaged Food issued by MFDA,
which adopts Codex standard. However, it has not been well implemented due to the lack of
post-marketing surveillance system, and the fact that most of manufacturers of processed food
for local consumption are not registered with MFDA.
For drinking water, company license and plant registration are issued by EPA, using its
Guideline for Drinking Water adopting WHO Guideline for Drinking Water Quality which
focuses on water quality and safety aspects, as a basis. However, the bottled water
manufacturers also required to obtain registration and license from MFDA, of which the
requirements emphasize mainly on process control for safety of the product.
Foods imported into the country are regularly inspected at seaports and airport by
International Border Health Unit. MCS also involves for custom clearance procedures of food
exportation and importation. Goods that are inspected mainly include fruits and vegetables,
meat and meat products, and other high risk food and food products, e.g., milk products, cheese,
etc. Inspection is performed for labelling, expiry date, and ingredients of packaged and
processed food. Health certificate, veterinary health certificate, and certificate of origin are also
required for meat and meat products, and egg and poultry products. Importation of breast milk
substitutes is regulated by MFDA’s Regulation of Import, Produce and Sale of Breast Milk
Substitutes in the Maldives. The Regulation for Food Imports has been drafted by MFDA, in
which the requirements on issues regarding food safety, i.e., food and nutrition labelling, risk-
based inspection, sampling and testing as well as traceability.
It should be noted that although the Maldives highly depends on imported food, the regular
inspection and monitoring programme of food in the market is missing. MED has its mandate to
conduct post-marketing monitoring, which emphasizes only on labeling for consumer
protection purposes. However, it is not conducted in a regular basis due to the limited number
of inspector of MED. The post-marketing control is currently conducted on receiving consumer
complaints by MFDA or MED rather than routine inspections. Supermarkets and other outlets
selling food are also inspected on ad hoc basis. Such activities have been stated in the Draft
Regulation for Food Imports, which has not been yet enacted. Therefore, the system at the
points needs to be strengthened by adopting risk-based inspection systems as opposed to the
current traditional end of product inspection practice
Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of ready-to-eat food (food establishments and

services)
The Public Health Inspectorate of HPA has the authority to perform food hygiene inspection and
monitoring of ready-to-eat food at food establishments and services. Registration and licensing
of food establishments are performed by HPA. Emphases are on the establishment, personal
hygiene, preparation and cooking processes, and documentation records. The inspection is
conducted routinely at various frequencies ranging from every 4 to 12 months, based on the
central grading system. The inspection results are reported to MFDA. At atoll level, routine
inspection is performed by public health units and the results are reported in a specific form to
HPA on a monthly basis.
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Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of food in fresh market
The Fish Market is under the Male’ City Council. There are two local markets in Male’ which are
under the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure (MHI). Inspection of the market is under the
responsibility of HPA. However, minimal activity has been undertaken.
Working relationship among major stakeholders
The National Codex Committee is not functional as desired. It has been reflected in assessment
of Codex activities in Maldives under Codex Trust fund application procedure.
Food industry and trade
MFDA, MOH, MOFA, and MED works very closely with each other in assisting food producers to
assure the safety of food, especially on issues relating to export of fishery products, TBT and SPS
agreements, and establishing Codex standards. These government agencies work in association
with MNCCI, Seafood Exporters Association, and Fishermen Association in the National Codex
Committee. However, active participation from such bodies has been very limited. There is no
association of food producers. Training programmes on HACCP and other food safety areas are
occasionally organized for industry by MFDA under technical support from United Nations
organizations, e.g., FAO and WHO.
Food service providers and retailers
Food service providers are trained by HPA in food hygiene. Since food service establishments
are regularly inspected, a close relationship is established between HPA and the food
establishments and service outlets. Furthermore inspection findings and recommendations are
discussed case-by-case with the service providers. However, activity with food retailers is
minimal. There is no association of food traders at present. MFDA occasionally provides training
regarding food hygiene and safety for the food handlers.
Consumers
There is neither effective working relationship with consumers nor active consumer groups or
associations in the Maldives. Therefore, there is no consumer participation on issues related to
food safety.
Food control and inspection programmes
The control and inspection of agricultural production, livestock and fisheries is conducted by
MOFA. Safety of fresh food including products from primary processing and processed food are
controlled by MFDA. Inspection and registration and licensing of food processing plants are
performed by MFDA. The control of exporting food is conducted by MFDA. Hygiene and
sanitation of food establishments and service are inspected and monitored by HPA.
The number of accredited inspectors is inadequate due to limited resources. The inspectors are
not adequately trained even though there are training and guidelines of MFDA for the inspectors.
Information regarding food inspection is shared among relating agencies, i.e., MFDA, HPA, and
MOFA, by personal communication. The information management system/database has not
been established.
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Food safety analytical capability
NHL has the mandate to conduct analysis of food and water to support the food control
programme. The scope of work includes the examination of quality and safety of water and food,
as well as supports the controls of food imports and exports, and hygiene of food establishments.
As the only such reference laboratory in the country, it also offers analytical services to the
industry and the public. The laboratory has been accredited for ISO 17025. A range of chemical
and microbiological tests are available. However, it is still not adequate to fully support the food
control programme, especially for chemical contaminants in food; and samples often need to be
sent to laboratories abroad. An MOU with SGS Sri Lanka has been established for collaboration
in analytical service but the activities undertaken has been minimal due to the difficulties in
sample handling and transfer.
NHL is equipped with a number of major pieces of equipment such as high performance liquid
chromatography, gas chromatography, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Fourier
transform infrared spectrometer, direct mercury analyzer, and polymerized chain reaction unit.
NHL follows official and standard analytical methods of Codex as well as the published methods.
However, currently some services are not provided due to the lack of chemicals and reagents,
and broken equipment. The long procurement procedure for chemicals and unavailability of
local maintenance and technical repairing services for equipment are the major concerns.
For drinking water analysis, laboratory of MWSC is accredited for water testing. It is accredited
ISO 17025 for the analyses of chemical parameters while the microbiology tests are in the
process of accreditation.
Risk analysis
Risk analysis is a tool of generating evidence-based information to inform policy decision

related to human health, animal health, plant health, food safety and international trade.
Although the principles of risk analysis are the same, i.e. risk assessment, risk management and
risk communication but it is known under different names and there is a slight variation in
approaches and outcome. Government officials have been trained for following risk analysis
process;
 HPA – Risk assessment (IHR)

 MFDA/HPA – Food safety risk analysis (Codex)
 MOFA (Plant health) – Pest risk assessment (IPPC)
 MOFA (Animal health) – Import risk analysis (OIE)
 MOFA – FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
Although training has been given by FAO or WHO but any of them rarely interact or discuss
about risk analysis and all of them find difficulty for practical use of these tools under field
conditions as required data and information are difficult to gather and analyze.
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Foodborne disease surveillance programme
HPA monitors foodborne disease situation in Maldives and other countries according to
INFOSAN, of which MFDA is the focal point, and WHO’s IHR network, of which HPA is the focal
point. In case of an outbreak, coordination among agencies is conducted regarding the National
Health Emergency Plan. Public health hospital, i.e., IGMH, and public health units inform HPA for
investigation of suspected food poisoning through an official format of reporting. Further
outbreak investigation is conducted by HPA or MFDA which includes inspection of
establishments or factory and sampling the food samples for analysis by the NHL.
Foodborne disease surveillance programme is integrated in the public health surveillance

programme of HPA. Diarrhoeal statistics are collected by HPA, together with other
communicable diseases. However, specific data on foodborne and waterborne diseases are not
available.
The Food Safety Emergency Response systems, including traceability and product recall
systems are also absent.
Education and training
Food and nutrition is one of the basic education components in Health and Physical Education
subject of the National Curriculum Framework of the Ministry of Education, which has been
implemented in the academic year 2015. However, the contents mostly relate to food hygiene
for food preparation and nutrition education.
For higher education, the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies of The Maldives National
University (MNU) offer training for hospitality industry which covers some food safety topics.
Food hygiene is also a component of diploma courses in Hospitality, Hospitality Management,
and Food and Drink Services. The Faculty of Health Science has food safety as a topic in one of
the units in the diploma courses in Primary Health Care, and Nursing. The contents are of food
hygiene, and some regulations, which however is not sufficient considering that the graduates
will be working in Public Health Units and part of their work will include routine inspection of
food facilities and outlets. Recently the Faculty of Science is formulating a course on food safety.
MFDA has been offering trainings on food establishment inspection for the health inspectors of
HPA and the public health unit staffs of MOH. MFDA also organizes training programmes on
HACCP and other food safety areas for the industry, particularly EU exporters.
There is no agency that performs education and training in food safety. Therefore, it is a
challenge of MFDA to find trained food inspectors and other qualified staffs in food safety. Even
though there is a reasonable number of inspectorate staff both in MFDA and HPA, the training is
not sufficient.
Research on food safety
Research needs to be an integral part of the food safety system and should be undertaken in a
systematic way. Unfortunately, there is no designated research institution for conducting food
safety research and official research in food safety is almost non-existent.
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2.2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS FOR FOOD SAFETY
The Maldives have The Consumer Protection Act (Act No. 1/96), and Public Health Protection
Bill that provide the basis for food safety programme. Other relevant legislations addressing
food safety are Food Establishment’s Hygiene Act (27/78), Port Health Act (76/78), Import
Products and Food Establishments Act (60/78), and Export Import Act (31/79).
A draft Food Act is now available and under modification process after being reviewed by the
Parliament. Relevant regulations and standards have been developed under the Food Act. A
Draft Standard Act has been prepared by MED with the technical support from UNIDO.
Regulations, guidelines, and standards currently applicable are:
 General Regulation for Food Establishments and Services (2007/182/FS1)
 Regulation of Import, Produce and Sale of Breast Milk Substitutes in the Maldives
(MFDA-FS/R1:2008)
 Food Advertisement Regulation
 Draft Regulation for Food Imports
 Guideline for Drinking Water
 Standards for Maintaining Food Safety and Quality of Products during Storage (MFD-
FS02:2006)
 National Standard for Labelling Prepackaged Food (MFDA-FCD STAN4-2014)
 Standards for Fishery
 Standards for Eggs and Spices
 Plant Protection Act 2011
 Draft Animal Health Bill
 Draft Pesticides Bill 2011
 Maldives Standard for Good Agriculture Practices (GAP): Fruits and Vegetables
Several regulatory standards are formulated by adopting Codex standards on related products.
Preparation and setting as well as monitoring of the standard are the responsibilities of related
ministry/department, e.g., MFDA and MOFA. There is no national standard agency. However, the
Standard Act is being drafted by MED. Existing legislations have been revised and updated
occasionally. Currently the Consumer Protection Act is being updated. Attempts have been
made to harmonize legislation between trading countries by adopting several Codex standards.
Halal certification for exporting food is conducted by Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Halal-
certified factories are inspected and audited once a year by the Joint Halal Committee, consisting
of members from MFDA, MOFA, and MED, for the renewal of certificate.
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2.3 Participation in International Meetings and the Implementation of Agreements
Maldives has been actively engaged with UN organizations and international standard setting
organizations such as CAC, OIE and IPPC. There are international agreements which are binding
for state parties who ratified the agreement.
The International Health Regulations (2005) is one related to public health and Maldives is
committed to develop core capacities required for implementation of IHR (2005). Food safety is
one of the priority areas. There are several assessment tools that help Member countries to
evaluate implementation status.
As a member of the WTO, Maldives is committed to implement following agreements related to

food safety and biosecurity;
 Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)

 Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
 Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
There are 11 International environmental agreements to which the Maldives is Party to and
the following agreements are related to food safety;
 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes

and their Disposal Basel, 22 March 1989.
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity Montreal, 29
January 2000.
 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Stockholm, 22 May 2001
 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, Rotterdam 10 Sep 1998
The Maldives has designated the following Contact Points to coordinate on food safety issues;
 National IHR Focal Point – HPA, MOH

 National Codex contact Point – MFDA/MOH
 OIE Delegate – Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
 IPPC Official Contact Point - Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture
MFDA officials have been actively participating in Codex meetings and workshops which helped
them to understand food standards, guidelines and recommendations which are applied in
import and export of food and food products. FAO and WHO established Codex Trust Fund (CTF)
which helped the Maldives to understand the importance of Codex standards and to develop
national standards for protecting consumer interest. The CTF phase II is focused on supporting
national Codex activities and The Maldives is an eligible country. The Maldives is a member of
the Codex Committee for Asia (CCASIA) which is setting standards of regional importance such
as street-vended foods.
The Maldives has designated an INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point and WHO is facilitating
information sharing of contaminated food and food products to Maldives through alert,
identification and traceability mechanism.
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3 RATIONALE FOR A FOOD SAFETY POLICY
The Constitution of the Maldives states that the people of the Maldives have to be provided with
safe food. The commercialization of agricultural production and marketing in Maldives in post-
Tsunami era to meet growing domestic consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables demands
adequate monitoring of residues and contaminants (biological, chemical and physical). The
increasing import of pesticides may reflect extension or intensification of agricultural
production in Maldives. A lack of residue monitoring system and inspection and testing of food
and food products will impact negatively on food quality and safety. Unfortunately existing food
inspection system with limited human, technical and financial resources will neither fulfill
current requirement nor future demands.
Globalization and liberalization of markets have created greater food safety challenges.
Governments are now required to comply with the sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures in
order to satisfy trade requirements. There is currently inadequate capacity and capability to
respond effectively to the globalization of food trade. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
are charting a path towards meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. In addition to SDG 2 on 'End hunger, achieve food security
and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture', several other SDGs relate to food
safety as part of global food security. This includes the goals for health, poverty, gender equality,
water and sanitation, responsible production and consumption, and climate change. As other
small island countries, the Maldives is vulnerable to the impact of climate change which may
affects food security, food safety and nutrition. The Maldives is committed to achieve SDGs by
2030.
Food safety is being kept as low priority due to the lack of proper regulatory framework and
inadequate human, technical and financial resources. The national food control system is
fragmented and roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders are not well defined or
overlapping. Under such circumstances, the Maldives may become dumping site of sub-standard,
low quality and contaminated food and food products which may have negative impact on
tourism and health and well-being of people. The overall food safety situation, enforcement of
regulations and national capacity to deal with emerging food safety issues can only be
strengthened by a specific food safety policy and better coordination among major stakeholders.
Currently there is no specific food safety policy in the country. Therefore, formulation of a food
safety policy is important for policy direction, resource mobilization and better coordination
among stakeholders.
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4 THE POLICY
4.1 SCOPE OF THE POLICY
A food safety policy is important to the development of an improved food safety programme as
it provides the overarching framework and principles that will guide the requisite interventions.
The policy will cover all aspects of national, regional, and international practices, principles,
guidelines, standards and agreements governing food safety systems. The policy shall include all
public and private entities involved in the technical, operational and management aspects of
food safety and control systems in the country.
Since food safety activities are fragmented in the Maldives, it is important to clearly define role
and responsibility of each institution to avoid duplication of efforts and overlapping of functions.
The policy will identify gaps in technical and institutional capacity such as handling, transport,
storage of food throughout the food chain and residue monitoring programme.
The core component of the policy will be driven by the promulgation and enforcement of
appropriate legislation which will impact the following key areas:
 Public health;
 Plant health;
 Animal health;
 Food safety;
 Nutrition; and
 National and International trade.
4.2 POLICY VISION
It is envisaged to advance the national food safety system based on national and international
standards aimed at safeguarding human, animal and plant health and the facilitation of trade
through the application of science based principles, enabled by an integrated institutional
framework, effective interagency collaboration and appropriate legislation, as well as a
strengthened public/private sector partnership.
4.3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The National Food Safety Policy of Maldives will be guided by the following principles:
 Food safety has to be achieved in all dimensions to ensure availability, affordability and
access to safe, nutritious/healthy, and quality food for all population.
 Food safety is the shared responsibility of the national Government, food industry and
consumers.
 Food safety programme/activities should be implemented in multi-sectoral, integrated

farm-to-fork approach that needs cooperation, collaboration and coordination among all
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Ministries/Departments involved, as well as awareness and active participation of

stakeholders in the food chain.
 Food safety programme should be sensitive to culture/traditional/religious practices

and country’s context perspective while sustainable use of natural resources and
environment impact are to be taken into account.
 Food safety programme should be aligned with the frameworks of the Maldives Health
Master Plan, WHO Food Safety Strategy and food safety related SDGs.
 Food safety programme should be carried out through effective and efficient use of
available resources and introduce cost-recovery mechanism for sustainability.
 Food safety activities have to be based on continuous research programme to enable the
strengthened linkage between sustainable food production, nutrition, and health.
 The Government of Maldives shall ensure the compliance and implementation of

international agreements relating to food safety to which it is a signatory.
4.4 POLICY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED
Any plan for implementing an effective food safety programme must take into consideration
gaps, limitations and unnecessary duplications in the current system and aim to rationalize
these agencies and activities. Key action points have been formulated to address policy gaps
identified.
 National policy on food safety should be developed. The policy should be based on risk
assessment and food chain approach; integrate food safety and quality, food security
and nutrition; and include the strategic approach and harmonized plan of actions.
 The roles and responsibilities of stakeholders should be clearly defined as follows and
details have been given in relevant sections;
o Lead agency for managing food safety control system : MFDA

o Pre-harvest (GAP, GFP, pesticide control) : MOFA
o Post-harvest and import/export control (pre-marketing,
marketing and post-marketing surveillance, food laboratory, residue
monitoring programme, GAP/Export certification): MFDA
o Food and water processing industries (Licensing, GMP,
inspection): MFDA, MED, EPA(water)
o Supervision of mass catering establishments and foodborne
disease surveillance: HPA/MOH
o Consumer awareness and education: HPA, MFDA, MOFA, MNU
o Food safety research and training: MOE, MNU, MFDA
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4.4.1 Legislation and food standards
 The Food Act should be implemented with regulations and standards as a unified
regulatory basis for food safety control.
 Regulatory standards and regulations that conform to international requirements

should be developed for some aspects.
 A national standard body should be established to coordinate the standard setting and
formulating processes, as well as approval of standard.
 Coordination among stakeholders should be enhanced to minimize the overlap and gap
in food safety activities as well as strengthen the implementation.
 Implementation and enforcement of legislation and regulation should be conducted and

harmonized.
 Regulation addressing nutrition labeling of food products for local consumption should
be established.
4.4.2 Coordination of the Food Safety Function
 A high level inter-ministerial food safety control committee should be established to

make policy decision in order to facilitate implementation of national food safety policy.
 Overlapping mandates of various agencies related to food safety should be minimized.

Clear roles of each agency should be clearly defined.
 Communication and coordination among stakeholders should be strengthened.

Mechanism for information sharing should be established.
 Adequate resources (infrastructure and skilled personnel) for activities related to food
safety should be made available.
 For the role distributed to Local Councils, information, practice, and enforcement
mechanism on food safety control should be harmonized. Technical guidance/support,
standard operating procedures and capacity building should be provided.
High level Inter-Ministerial Food Safety Committee
The high level Inter-Ministerial Food Safety Committee will comprise the Ministers of Health;
Fisheries and Agriculture; Economic Development; Finance; Education and Tourism. The
Committee will meet at least twice a year to:
• provide high level oversight, coordination and direction regarding food safety protection
and control;
• review and approve work plans and budgets of the food safety agencies;
• review high level reports of performance;
• resolve policy and operational conflicts among agencies as necessary;
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• take policy decisions and provide instructions to regulatory agencies as appropriate;
• discharge other high level functions as deemed appropriate.
In case of a food safety emergency, the high level Inter-Ministerial Food Safety Committee
will meet more frequently as appropriate to take policy decisions, monitor agreed
interventions and report to Cabinet as necessary. The Committee will be supported
technically by the National Codex Committee and sub-committees and administratively by
the MFDA as a Secretariat. Costs associated with convening meetings of the Committee will
be included in the budget of the Secretariat.
The chairmanship of Committee shall be the Minister of Health given that Ministers mandate
to ensure the health and well-being of the population.
National Codex Committee (NCC)
 The National Codex Committee and INFOSAN mechanisms should be strengthened

through the legal framework.

 The structure, mandate and Terms of Reference of NCC should be specified in the Food
Act and it should function as a technical working group.
 National Codex Contact Point should be institutionalized and regular meeting should be
organized to discuss Codex related standards and issues of national interest.
 National Focal Points of Codex, OIE, IPPC and WTO should communicate and share
information in NCC meeting on a regular basis
Food industry and trade
 Active participation of food industry in food safety activities, standard setting, and
Codex activities should be promoted.
 Orientation on import regulation, certification and risk-based inspection should be

organized for food trader and importer to prevent risk of introducing pest and diseases
and to avoid possible confiscation at the point of entry.
Food service providers and retailers
 Relationship and collaboration with food retailers should be established.
 Awareness of food handlers in food hygiene should be raised.
Consumers
 Consumer groups or associations should be established.
 Active participation of consumer association on issues related to food safety should be

promoted.
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4.4.3 Risk Analysis
 The Government of Maldives shall implement measures to strengthen formal risk

analysis mechanisms to include capacity building in key agencies.
 The Government shall strengthen technical capabilities of its human resources and its
infrastructure such as laboratories and research mechanisms.
 A group of risk assessment experts should be created to sustain practical use of risk
assessment tool in various fields.
4.4.4 Participation in International Meetings and the Implementation of Agreements
 The MFDA should coordinate with major stakeholders to prioritize food commodities of
national interest and develop national position on draft Codex standards through NCC
 The INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point and INFOSAN Focal Points should be designated
and INFOSAN community website should be used to exchange information of national
interest
 The Government shall ensure Maldives’s participation in relevant meetings at the

national, regional and international levels.
 Responsible Ministries/Agencies shall ensure that information gathered at international

fora is disseminated among the relevant stakeholders.
 The Government of Maldives shall ensure the compliance and implementation of

international agreements relating to food safety to which it is a signatory.
4.4.5 Surveillance/Epidemiology
 The existing foodborne disease surveillance and response should be assessed using self-
administered questionnaire and validation workshop which should come up with action
points for strengthening foodborne disease surveillance system
 Information sharing system on foodborne disease should be established.
4.4.6 Laboratories for Food Safety Analysis
 Resources and funding should be allocated for capacity building of infrastructure and
staff, and to keep the equipment and analysis operate on a regular basis.
 Collaboration with accredited laboratories oversea should be practiced for certain

analyses that are not feasible to perform.
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 Analytical data should be disseminated and integrated to the risk management

programme.
4.4.7 Monitoring of Food Production and Distribution Systems
 The number of accredited/skilled inspectors should be increased. Capacity building

should be given to the inspectors.
 The management system/database of information regarding food inspection should be

established, as well as the information sharing system among relating agencies.
 Control and inspection of high-risk locally-produced food products for domestic

consumption should be implemented based on risk analysis approach.
 Overlaps in border controls as well as inspection and monitoring should be minimized.
4.4.8 Safety of Imported Food for Consumption
 Post-marketing monitoring and surveillance programmes for the safety and quality of
food in the market should be implemented by adopting risk-based inspection systems,
with all of food chain approach based on risk analysis concept.
 Monitoring programme for food contaminants on a regular basis, in particular pesticide

residue, should be developed.
4.4.9 National Food Safety Emergency Response Systems
 A National Food Safety Emergency Preparedness Plan should be developed and

functional aspect of plan should be tested.
 Food Safety Emergency Response systems, including traceability and product recall
systems should be established.
4.4.10 Public Awareness and Education
 Public awareness, information, education, and communication on food safety should be

promoted.
 Academic and non-academic education and training on food safety for personnel
involved in food safety activities should be developed in collaboration with MNU.
 Food safety should be incorporated into curriculum of basic and higher educations.
Examples of trainings that should be provided include, but not limited to:
o For inspectors. inspection procedure; good practices in food production,

processing, distribution, preparation, handling and storage; Training of Trainers
for harmonized inspection at atoll level
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o For laboratory scientists. standard analytical methods; quality assurance and

laboratory accreditation
o For food producers, processors, handlers, and traders. food hygiene and good
practices in food production, processing, distribution, preparation, handling and
storage; quality control systems; regulations and standards of exporting
countries
o For food safety officials, researchers: risk analysis; exposure assessment; diet
assessment; appropriate technology for production and quality control of safe
food and drinking water
4.4.11 Research
 Research in food safety should be encouraged and supported by giving priority to

research which aims to provide the necessary data to better manage food safety.
Examples of research area that should be conducted include, but not limited to:
o Total diet study or food consumption survey
o Pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables available in markets
o Histamine content in fish and fish products for domestic consumption
o Chemical and microbiological contaminants in food and water
o Exposure assessment of contaminants and additives
o Appropriate technology in safe and nutritious food production and handling at

small and medium scale industry
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4.5 POLICY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The policy goals and objectives are as follow:
Policy goals Objectives
1. Ensure the supplied food are safe, 1.1 Enhance access to safe, healthy and quality
nutritious, and quality by means of food food for domestic consumption
production, processing, imports, retails,
and services 1.2 Enable increased level of safe, healthy and
quality food imports
1.3 Increase efficiency in safe and nutritious food

marketing, trade, distribution, handling and
storage
1.4 Ensure availability of clean and safe drinking

water
2. Strengthen national food safety 2.1 Develop and enforce legislations to promote
framework, and implementation and food safety
coordination of responsible agencies in
food safety control and monitoring 2.2 Strengthen food safety and quality control
activities and monitoring systems
2.3 Strengthen food safety emergency response

system including traceability and recall
systems
2.4 Strengthen coordination and information

sharing among agencies involving in food
safety activities
3. Promote partnerships and networking 3.1 Promote nutrition education and awareness
for increased public awareness, and on safe and healthy food habits
participation and contribution of
stakeholders 3.2 Strengthening partnerships and networking
for increased participation and contribution
of consumer and food business operators
4. Build capacity and enhance capability on 4.1 Develop systematic and non-systematic
training, education and research on food education on food safety for personnel
safety involved in food safety activities
4.2 Encourage and support research in food

safety
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Goal 1: Ensure the supplied food are safe, nutritious, and quality by means of
food production, processing, imports, retails, and services
Objective 1.1: Enhance access to safe, nutritious and quality food for domestic consumption
Strategic approach Responsible agencies
1.1.1 Encourage appropriate preventive approaches to improve MFDA, MoFA, HPA, Local
food safety and quality through the application of good Councils, PHU
practices
1.1.2 Coordinate and integrate the management of chemicals MOFA, MFDA, MCS,
especially pesticide, fertilizers and other agrochemicals MNDF, MED, MoDNS
1.1.3 Enforce quality assurance measures for food products and MFDA, HPA, EPA, MoH,
drinking water MoEE
1.1.4 Support production of safe agricultural products, livestock MOFA, Local Councils
and fishery
1.1.5 Encourage integrated pest management and safe use of MOFA, MFDA
pesticide and fertilizer
1.1.6 Promote environmentally sustainable agriculture and MOFA, MEE, EPA

fishery
Objective 1.2: Enable increased level of safe, healthy and quality food imports
1.2.1 Ensure conforming of imported food to national food MFDA, MED, MCS, HPA,
regulation and standards as well as other related legislations MNCCI
and international agreements
1.2.2 Regulate food import to reduce availability of unsafe and MFDA, HPA, MED, MCS,
unhealthy food products in market HSD, MNCCI
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Goal 2: Strengthen national food safety framework, and implementation and

coordination of responsible agencies in food safety control and
monitoring activities
Objective 2.1: Develop and enforce legislations to promote food safety
2.1.1 Update, harmonized, and enact legislation regarding food MFDA, MoH, MoFA, MED
safety
2.1.2 Develop mechanisms to harmonize the implementation and MFDA, MoH, MoFA, MCS,
enforcement of the legislations HSD, MOE, HPA, Local
Councils, MNU
2.1.3 Establish national standard body to coordinate the standard MFDA, MED
setting and formulating processes, as well as approval of
standard
2.1.4 Develop and enforce national standards and regulations MFDA, MoH, MoFA,
related to food safety, safe water, use of agrochemicals that MED, MDNS
conform to international requirements
Objective 2.2: Strengthen food safety and quality control and monitoring systems
2.2.1 Establish post-marketing monitoring and surveillance MFDA, HSD, MoH, HPA,
programmes for the safety and quality of food in the market MED, MNCCI
based on risk analysis concept
2.2.2 Strengthen analytical capability, infrastructure and MFDA, MoH, MNU

personnel skill to analyse a wider range of contaminants
2.2.3 Ensure maintenance of the equipment and effective MFDA, MoH, MOFA
procurement to keep the analyses operate on a regular basis
2.2.4 Increase number of accredited/skilled inspectors for MFDA, HPA, MoH, MNU
promotion of food safety and enforcement of food safety
regulations
2.2.5 Establish management system/database of information MFDA, HPA, MoH, MCS

regarding food inspection and monitoring
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2.2.6 Develop monitoring programme for pesticide residue and MOFA, MFDA, EPA
contaminants on regular basis
2.2.7 Establish mechanism to share analytical data and integrate MFDA, MoFA, HPA
to the risk management programme
2.2.8 Increase the capacity and capability of food control at the MFDA, MCS, HPA
borders
Objective 2.3: Strengthen food safety emergency response system including traceability and
recall systems
2.3.1 Develop national food traceability and recall systems in line MFDA, MoFA, MCS, HPA,
with the FAO/WHO guidelines MED
2.3.2 Integrate approaches to link monitoring and surveillance MOH, MoFA, HPA, MFDA
systems for human and animal health, and food
contamination
2.3.3 Establish integrated national health information system MOH, HPA, IGMH, NCIT
(disease reporting, surveillance, medical records) for
foodborne disease surveillance linking different levels of the
health system and private healthcare sector
2.3.4 Establish surveillance, alert and information sharing systems MOH, HPA, IGMH, MOT
for foodborne disease outbreak and food contamination
2.3.5 Establish Food Safety Emergency Response systems MFDA, HPA, MoH
2.3.6 Integrate disaster management strategy for food safety in MFDA, HPA, MoH,
the national disaster management framework NDMC, MNDF
Goal 3: Promote partnerships and networking for increased public awareness,

and participation and contribution of stakeholders
Objective 3.1: Promote nutrition education and awareness on safe and healthy food habits
3.1.1 Strengthen public awareness program to address HPA, MFDA, , MOFA,

importance of food safety and nutrition through health MOE, MNU
promotion, social marketing and media
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3.1.2 Promote safe and healthy food preparation and consumption MoH, HPA, MOE, MFDA,
practices to reduce foodborne- and non-communicable MNU
diseases, and food waste
3.1.3 Promote consumer education and community-based health MoH, MOE, HPA
program on food safety and nutrition
3.1.4 Ensure food labeling systems comply with national MFDA, HPA, MED,
requirements and enable consumer to make informed food MNCCI
choices based on labeling information
Objective 3.2: Strengthening partnerships and networking for increased participation and
contribution of consumer and food business operators
3.2.1 Establish consumer groups or associations and promote MED, MFDA, HPA, MNCCI
consumer involvement and consumer health protection
3.2.2 Promote public-private-professional partnership and consumer MFDA, MED, MNCCI

participation to support food safety activities
3.2.3 Promote stakeholders participation and contribution at MFDA, MoFA, HPA, MED
standards-setting meetings
3.2.4 Create an enabling environment for food businesses to align MFDA, MED, MoFA
their operating activities and practices with existing legislation
and international standards
3.2.5 Encourage primary producers to improve the food safety and MFDA, HPA, MOFA, Local
quality of their products, as well as the availability of such safe Councils
foods for consumers
3.2.6 Encourage commercial food producers to apply good MFDA, MOFA, Local
manufacturing practices; adhere to the applicable Codex and Councils
related standards for ensuring safe foods; and practice
responsible marketing of food products
3.2.7 Encourage food retailers to improve the availability and MFDA, MED
promotion of safe and nutritious products
3.2.8 Encourage food establishment and services to apply related HPA, MOT, MFDA
good practices (good handling, restaurant, hygiene practices)
3.2.9 Promote formation of farmers/ fishermen group and MOFA, MED

cooperatives for enhancing quality and safety
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Goal 4: Build capacity and enhance capability on training, education and

research on food safety
Objective 4.1: Develop systematic and non-systematic education on food safety for personnel
involved in food safety activities
4.1.1 Include food safety issues in the general education and MOE, DHE, MNU
curricula of relevant training programmes
4.1.2 Develop and organise training and training-of-trainer MFDA, MOFA, HPA,
programmes for all stakeholders, including primary MOH, MNU
producers, food processors, food handlers, food inspectors
and analysts
4.1.3 Develop and dissemination of required/essential tools to MFDA, HPA, MOFA, MNU
strengthen the competencies of all relevant personnel at
various levels involved in all related sectors with the food
safety programme
Objective 4.2: Encourage and support research in food safety
4.2.1 Identify research priorities and manage research to meet MFDA, MOFA, MOH,
information needed for programming and policy MNU
4.2.2 Establish and develop laboratory for food safety research MNU
4.2.3 Manage the output of the research to be incorporated as MOH, MOFA, MNNU
basis for evidence-based policy and legislation making
4.2.4 Disseminate and share output for food safety research to MNU
public and stakeholders
4.2.5 Conduct risk assessment for microbiological and chemical MOH, MOFA, MFDA, HPA
contaminants in food
4.2.6 Conduct total diet study to estimate dietary intake and MOH, MNU,
exposure assessment of chemical contaminants in (HPA/MFDA)
population groups
33
Objective 2.4: Strengthen coordination and information sharing among agencies involving in
food safety activities
2.4.1 Define clear roles and responsibilities of various agencies MOH

related to food safety
2.4.2 Enhance coordinated implementation of the programmes of MFDA, HPA, MOFA, MCS,
all concerned ministries and agencies both at national and MED, HSD, Local
local levels Councils
2.4.3 Harmonize the practice, implementation, enforcement MFDA, HPA, HSD, MOFA,
mechanism, and information on food control conducted at Local Councils
atoll level by providing technical guidance/support,
standard operating procedures and capacity building
2.4.4 Establish information sharing system/ database on food MFDA, HPA, MOFA, MCS,
safety activities among relating agencies HSD, Local Councils,
NCIT, MED, MOH
2.4.5 Collaboration and communication between countries in the MFDA, HPA, MOFA
Region network and support each other on food safety issues
by sharing information, knowledge, expertise and experience
5 IMPLEMENTATION
The Food Safety Policy will be implemented in a 10 year period with defined roles and
responsibilities of various institutions as mentioned above. The high level Inter-Ministerial Food
Safety Committee and National Codex Committee will have to play important role in policy and
technical terms. Enactment of food safety related Acts and Regulations and its enforcement
through development of adequate infrastructure and capacity building, better coordination and
collaboration among major stakeholders and consumer awareness and education will be
necessary for implementation of the national food safety policy.
The proposed plan of action and timeline for implementation has been presented in Appendix 3.
6 FINANCING
Since the policy is designed to ensure public health security of Maldivian people and tourists
coming to Maldives from food-related illnesses and to promote nutritional well-being of public,
it is the responsibility of the national government to provide budgetary support for institutional
and technical development in line with Codex standards and IHR core capacity requirements. In
addition, this policy will also be financed by cost recovery mechanisms, public private
partnership and relevant donor funding.
34
7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the policy will be the responsibility of the
policy division in the Ministry of Health and Family that will have overall responsibility for
health policy. It is anticipated that this policy will require a full review in 3-5 years of its
adoption to ensure progress with local and international developments. The policy document is
dynamic in nature and it should address policy issues raised during IHR evaluation (self-
administered as well as Joint External Evaluation), assessment of foodborne disease
surveillance and response etc.
35
REFERENCES
Asian Development Bank (2005). Commercialization of Agriculture in the Maldives. TA No.

4337- ML.
Chaudhari, Sanjay (2005): Technical Report on Food Safety Assessment in Maldives – Post-
Tsunami.WHO (ICP EHA 011), Maldives.
Gongal Gyanendra (2005): Assessment Report on National Veterinary and Public Health
Services and Avian Influenza Preparedness Planning. WHO (MAV EHA 050) Maldives
Ministry of Planning and National Development (2004): Statistical Yearbook of Maldives 2004.
Ministry of Planning and National Development, Government of Maldives, Male.
Ministry of Health. Maldives Health Master Plan 2006-2015. Male’, Ministry of Health, 2006.
Ministry of Health. Draft Maldives Health Master Plan 2016-2025. Male’, Ministry of Health,
2014.
Sparringa, R. (2005): Report on Strengthening Food Safety System in Maldives.WHO, Maldives.
Tangsuphoom n. (2015). Report. Technical Support to Develop National Food Safety Policy for
Maldives. MAV-2015-F5-APW-0002.
WHO/SEARO. Regional food safety strategy 2013–2017 (SEA-NUT-186). New Delhi, World
Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, 2014.
36
Appendix 1: Leading ministry/department for each food control activity in Maldives
Food control activities Leading ministries/

departments
Fisheries production MOFA, MFDA, Local Councils, HSD
Agricultural production and harvest MOFA, Local Councils
Fresh food MFDA, HPA, MOFA
Food processing and marketing MFDA, HPA, MED, HSD, EPA
Licensing of processing plants MFDA, EPA
Coordination of standard MFDA, MOFA, MED
Pre-market food product evaluation MFDA, EPA
Food labelling and advertising control MFDA, HPA, MED
Food safety and quality monitoring MFDA, HPA, HSD
Food production and distribution inspection MFDA, HPA, HSD
Foodborne disease surveillance HPA, IGMH
Risk communication and public awareness HPA, MFDA
Food exports MFDA, MCS, MED
Food imports HPA, MCS, MED, MPL
Food retail HPA, MFDA, HSD, MED
Food service HPA, MFDA, HSD, MED
Food complaints MFDA, HPA
Food safety education and training MOE, MFDA, MNU
Food safety research MNU
37
Appendix 2: Maldives Health Master Plan and Food safety
Availability, accessibility and affordability of safe, nutritious and quality food for all age group of
people is a public health issue. There are emerging health issues such as non-communicable
diseases (obesity, diabetes, cancer) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which are related to
food safety. It is increasingly recognized that a holistic multidisciplinary approach is needed to
make food safe, i.e. farm to fork approach. The Health Master Plans establish link to safe food
and potable water.
Maldives Health Master Plan 2006–2015.

 Policy goal 1: To ensure people have appropriate knowledge and behaviours to
protect and promote their health
o Strategic approach 18: Develop and enforce legislations to protect and
promote health (for tobacco control, breastfeeding, safe food, health and
safety at work, access to essential medicine and contraceptives)
 Policy goal 2: To ensure safe and supportive environments are in place to promote
and protect health and wellbeing of the people
o Strategic approach 4: Advocate for and ensure access to safe water and
sanitation for all
o Strategic approach 8: Develop and enforce national standards and
regulations/legislations related to public health protection, safe water
including recreational water, food safety, indoor and outdoor sanitation
waste management, occupational safety, building codes, use of chemicals,
pesticides, insecticides, road and sea safety and mechanisms for enforcing
these legislations
o Strategic approach 9: Strengthen capacity to ensure quality control and
adherence to the national standards and regulations by developing
necessary skills and tools for monitoring enforcement
o Strategic approach 11: Expand healthy settings initiatives for healthy
island and other healthy settings such as hospitals, schools, food outlets,
parks, etc.
The Draft Health Master Plan 2016–2025 also contains strategic inputs that are relevant to food
safety as follow:
 Strategic focus area 2: Public health protection
o Strategic direction 2: Reduce chronic diseases (especially diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and cancers) and improve mental and psychological health of the population
- Empower young people and adults to adopt healthy choices
regarding food, physical activity, tobacco use and prevent
substance abuse through education and life skill development
- Implement a national food and nutrition strategy targeting
different age groups
38
Appendix 3: Plan of Action with timelines
National Food Safety Policy of the Maldives: Plan of Action (2017-2026)
S. No. Activities Timeline

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
1 Enact food safety related Acts and Regulations
2 Establish high level Inter-Ministerial FOS Cmt & NCC
3 Assess and validate FBD srv. and rsp.
4 Establish consumer groups or association
5 Promote public-private-professional partnership (FOS)
6 Strengthn laboratory capacity for FBD surveillance
7 Dev. epid. surveillance of FBDs
8 INFOSAN networking and simulation exercise
9 Review food safety policy implementation
10 Promote GAP and certification system
11 Development of residue monitoring system
12 Strengthn national food traceability and recall system
13 Integrate FOS in the national disaster mgmt frwk
14 Establish info. sharing system/ database on FOS
15 Strengthen FOS risk analysis
16 Strengthen lab. capacity for chemical analysis
17 Ensure food labeling systems comply with ntl rqrmnts
18 Participate in relevant intl. Codex and FOS meetings
19 Identify research priorities and manage research
20 Dev. institutional and technical capacity for FOS rsrch
21 Develop food safety course and launching
22 Public awareness and education
39

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NATIONAL

FOOD SAFETY POLICY

Maldives Food and Drug Authority

2.1 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR FOOD CONTROL

2.2 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS FOR FOOD SAFETY

2.3 PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

3 RATIONALE FOR A FOOD SAFETY POLICY

4.1 POLICY VISION

4.2 SCOPE OF THE POLICY

4.3 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

4.4 POLICY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

4.4.2 Coordination of the Food Safety Function

4.4.3 Risk Analysis

4.4.4 Participation in International Meetings and the Implementation of Agreements

4.4.6 Laboratories for Food Safety Analysis

4.4.7 Monitoring of Food Production and Distribution Systems

4.4.8 Safety of Imported Food for Consumption

4.4.9 National Food Safety Emergency Response Systems

4.4.10 Public Awareness and Education

4.5 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

7 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

APPENDIX 1 Leading ministry/department for each food control activity in Maldives

APPENDIX 2 Maldives Health Master Plan and food safety

APPENDIX 3 Plan of Action with Timeline

AMR Antimicrobial resistance

Food safety needs to be ensured by protecting the food

The National Food Safety Policy 2017-2026 is the key

Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim

Development of the National Food Safety Policy: 2017-2026

Following a truly “One Health approach”; I am pleased that

Globalization and liberalization of markets have created

WHO Representative to Maldives

Geography, administration, and socio-economic aspects

Agriculture, food production and trade

Table 1 Top ten commodities production quantity, 2012

Commodity Quantity (tons)

Table 2 Top ten commodities import quantity, 2011

Commodity Quantity (tons)

Food consumption pattern

Table 3 Top ten commodities availability for consumption, 2011

Commodity Quantity (kcal/capita/day)

2.1 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR FOOD CONTROL

Figure 1 Food control and management system, Maldives

Source: Maldives Food and Drug Authority

Leading ministry/department for each food control activity is listed in Appendix 1.

The Maldives Food and Drug Authority

The Fisheries Division

The Safety of fishery, agricultural production, livestock, and post-harvest production is

The Agriculture Division

Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of fresh food

Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of processed food

Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of ready-to-eat food (food establishments and

Ministries/ Departments involved in safety of food in fresh market

Working relationship among major stakeholders

Food industry and trade

Food service providers and retailers

Food control and inspection programmes

Food safety analytical capability

Risk analysis is a tool of generating evidence-based information to inform policy decision