FNC panel discusses draft law on food safety

The Federal National Council's committee on foreign affairs, planning, petroleum, mineral resources, agriculture, and fisheries, resumed its review of a federal draft law on food safety during its sixth meeting of the 4th Ordinary Session of the 15th Legislative Chapter.
Chairman of the committee, Rashid Al Shuraiqi, said the committee had approved a report on amendment of some articles of the Federal Law No. (24) of 1999 concerning the Protection and Development of the Environment, and completed discussion on the bill regarding food safety.
Members of the committee discussed articles from 3 to 7 of the bill which tackle scope of the bill, functions and powers of the competent authorities in the specific emirate and those of the Ministry of Environment and Water and other entities.
Stressing the importance of the bill, Al Shuraiqi said,' The draft law deals with food safety of both man and animal and it will tighten control on the food supply chain by using international best practices.' The law, he added, needed deep and thorough reference study at both local and international levels as it is expected to fill many existing loopholes.
According to the government explanatory note submitted to the FNC, food safety is one of the government top priorities given the close interlink between the health and safety of the community and the quality and safety of food in addition to the tremendous challenges the food control authorities are facing in regards to spread of food-borne diseases, deployment of advanced technologies for production, processing and marketing of food, commercial fraud in food, growing demand for healthy food and the increasing expansion of world free trade.
The 21 -article bill will regulate production of local food and local and foreign trade on food, which in turn, will spur domestic economy, ensure high rates of food security and protection of public health, reduce spread of food-borne diseases, protect consumers from unhealthy and low quality food, facilitate trade movement and flow of commodities from and to the UAE, advance socio-economic development and enhance consumer's confidence in the local food supply chain.
The bill also sets penalties for offenders.