School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, UK
Please note that material on these pages, and the use of it, is subject to a disclaimer.
Food Law Internet Project (F.L.I.P.)
Benin
General Information
----
Key Legal Documents
----
Links to Organisations involved in Food Law
----
Information (listed by date)
2005
- Document: Report of the Sixteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
- Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme Codex Alimentarius Commission, 4 – 9 July 2005.
- Extract: In order to protect the national and international consumers’ health, and to export food goods, efforts and activities have been ongoing. The National Codex Committee is being strengthened in matters of membership, technical activities, sensitivization and communication. The different laws and decrees are being updated. Three laboratories have been selected to be prepared for accommodation. From these three laboratories, the central laboratory of food analysis, where the Codex Contact Point is situated, is very old and outdated in support materials, technical materials and therefore deserves a special and clement attention from FAO. Human and material capacity building for this central laboratory at the “Direction de l’Alimentation et de la Nutrition Appliquée (DANA)”and for the National Codex Committee focal point is very critical for a real, good and new departure. The human and material capacity building efforts le by UEMOA Quality Programme are very useful to make efficient food control system, could be better performed. In Benin, the first consumers’ association was created in the 1990s, and the number of associations has been increasing since 2001, when the government started funding them. The two most important associations are “Que Choisir/ What to choose” and “Ligue pour la Défense des Consommateurs/ Consumer Defense League”. These two consumer associations are members of the National Codex Committee. They are in permanent contact with the Codex Contact Point in Benin. They participate in every National Committee meeting, general technical training, sensibilization and communication events on the radio broadcasting and on television. On request, they also assist, as observers, in food sanitary controls of markets and super-markets. The consumers’ associations in Benin are very effective and deserve to be supported and helped to play their role better.
- Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/632/al28_28e.pdf
2003
- Document: Report of the Fifteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
- Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme Codex Alimentarius Commission, 30 June – 5 July 2003.
- Extract: The Delegation informed that the activities of the Codex Contact Point, which was located in the Ministry of Rural Development in Department of Food and Applied Nutrition (DANA), were at very early stage and that the current equipment did not allow to determine vitamin A and provitamin A (carotenes), fibre, pesticide residues as well as carry out biochemical analysis of traces of hydrocarbons. There was also not possible to fully quantify and type aflatoxins, species of microorganisms such as staphylococcus, Escherichia and Salmonella therefore it was very desirable to receive the FAO and WHO support in strengthening their capacity for food safety and National Codex Committee. Consumer Protection Associations in Benin are operational and are playing their very important role in the development of standards in analysing situation etc. Combined with the liberalization of the press, they were instrumental in putting considerable pressure on the responsible government authorities to ensure improvements in the food control situation. They participate in the work related to food safety.
- Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/407/Al03_28e.pdf
2002
2001
- Document: Report of the Fourteenth Session of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa
- Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme,Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Fourth Session, Geneva, 2 - 7 July 2001.
- Extract: The Delegation of Benin recalled its participation, as an ECOWAS member, in the process of harmonizing national legislation with Codex. Benin has undertaken to set up national Codex-based standards, including those for manioc and other processed fruits, vegetables and cereals. The National Codex Committee was established in 1990 and efforts have been made to attend Codex meetings such as the Codex Committees on General Principles, Food Hygiene, Natural Mineral Waters, Cocoa Products and Chocolate. The Codex Contact Point was located in the Ministry of Rural Development in Department of Food and Applied Nutrition (DANA) and served in dissemination of information and collation of responses. It also served as the secretariat of the National Codex Committee. The government recognised the three consumer organisations in Benin. However, the organisations encounter difficulties in attending meetings, because the government is unable to fund the participation of representatives of consumer organisations at Codex meetings. The Delegation appealed to Consumers' International to seek for extra funding to be able to provide assistance to the organisations.
- Link:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/005/X9372E/x9372e09.htm#TopOfPage
Information last updated - 14 July 2006
Back to FLIP Home Page