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Food Law Internet Project (F.L.I.P.)

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Senegal

General Information

• WHO Africa - Country Profile: http://www.afro.who.int/des/fos/country_profiles/senegal.pdf
• The main food safety and quality problems encountered by the country’s exports are differing standards between those of the country and standards which are applied in other countries. Mechanism for collection and dissemination of information of the export system is a vailable. The main food safety and quality problems encountered by the country’s imports are also problem of standards. Mechanisms for monitoring food imports are available. The Food Laws include Decret 70 094 du 27/01/70 portant mise en place d’une commission intermisterielle de controle de produits alimentaires , which are implemented at central level by the Santé elevage. Agri, Peche, Commerce, Industrie, economie, Finances, environnement, urbanisme, interieur; at provincial level by the Services techniques regionaux de ces différentes ministeres and at local level by the Mairie, collectivités locales . The national standards do not differ from Codex Standards.

See also International Portal on Food Safety, Animal & Plant Health

Key Legal Documents

Links to Organisations involved in Food Law

Information (listed by date)

2002

• Document: Improving Efficiency and Transparency in Food Safety Systems Sharing Experiences.
• Source: FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators, Marrakesh, Morocco, 28 - 30 January 2002.
• Extract: This document presents the food safety regulatory framework presently in force in Senegal, including the various national competent authorities responsible for the control and inspection of domestic and imported food. A list is presented of national laws and decrees which establish basic principles and structures such as the National Codex Committee. The paper recommends that more resources be allocated to food quality promotion and control; that food safety legislation be reviewed, harmonized and updated; and that food control authorities be evaluated and reinforced. It also raises the need for quality assurance manuals for the control of pesticide residues in food to be established and distributed to official laboratories. The paper calls for improved regional coordination among countries of West Africa in harmonizing their national food legislation in order to share resources and strengthen regional capacity building. The need for staff training in food control services and national laboratories is also stressed. The paper describes the national Codex Alimentarius structure in place in Senegal since 1983. The national food standardization policy is implemented within the Standardization Institute of Senegal (SIN) soon to be replaced by the Senegalese Association of Standardization (ASN).
• Link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/004/Y3680E/Y3680E09.htm

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 Senegal pointed out that the use of international Codex Standards by African countries was the most efficient means of achieving harmonisation in the region. Countries would need to ensure that efforts made to produce high quality safe foods for export did not lead to the reduced availability of such products on the domestic markets as this could adversely affect consumer health. Training programmes and educational activities would need to be implemented to ensure good hygienic practices all along the food chain and appropriate infrastructure to facilitate food imports and export inspection and certification systems would need to be established. Therefore, the delegation of Senegal invited the countries of the Region to adopt Codex Standards, Guidelines and Recommendations and highlighted the further need for FAO and WHO regional assistance in Senegal and its surrounding countries. The National Codex Committee served as technical support to the Senegal Standardization Institute (ISN). To date, it has elaborated more than 50 food-related standards. To improve the system and enhance the performance there was the need for an electronic means of communication. Currently, the selection of technical staff to take part in various activities related to the work of Codex, including attendance at Sessions of Codex Committees, is being carried out taking into account their specialization. The Secretariat also responds to requests for information and comments on food standards. Decree No 83-1204 dated 24 November 1983, not only established the NCC, but also extended its membership to both consumers and the industry. The chairmanship of the National Codex Committee resided in the Ministry of Health and the secretariat was managed by the Ministries of Health, Trade and the ISN. The interest of consumers is paramount in the work of the Commission. The call for transparency in the development of food standards in Senegal is for the benefit of consumers. In Senegal, consumers are involved in food standardisation. The Delegation entreated all delegations to give support to the Guidelines prepared by the Consumers' International by using objective criteria of representation and legitimisation of consumer organizations at national level.
• Link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/005/X9372E/x9372e09.htm#TopOfPage

Information last updated - 14 July 2006