October 2006
Extract from the Report of the 9 th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee For North America and the South West Pacific, 10-13 October 2006 (See: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/667/al30_32e.pdf )
Fiji is using the Codex Standards as guidelines in terms of compliance to standards for imports and exports. Fiji food legislations are outdated. Fiji is currently reviewing all the legislations that are associated with Food Quality Control and Safety especially for the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.
The Ministry of Health is working with the National Codex Committee on the adoption of Codex standards into national legislations, for example in the new Food Safety Regulation, and is trying to harmonise its national standards with Codex standards, where possible.
The Central Board of Health of the Ministry of Health has the basic authority for undertaking a national programme on food protection, but responsibility for food control is not well-defined. Both central and local(municipal) government health personnel are responsible for food safety surveillance.
Under the provisions of the Pure Food Act, health inspectors are designated by the Central Board of Health as "pure food inspectors". Similarly, meat inspectors employed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries are also designated by the Central Board of Health. There are altogether about 27 pure food inspectors at the central and local levels, in addition to about 135 other health inspectorate personnel.
Training of health inspectors and assistant health Inspectors is undertaken at the Fiji School of Medicine. The duration of the training course for health inspectors is three years. Some health inspectors have been sent abroad for a one-year training course in order to qualify for the posts of meat and food inspectors.
Education of food handlers is undertaken in collaboration with the Fiji National Training Centre. Food control services at the community level in Fiji operate within the framework of primary health care, which provides good communication with the local population concerning the need for personal hygiene and food safety.
Currently, Fiji is not in a position to provide laboratory facilities exclusively for the purpose of food analysis and existing analytical facilities are limited. Chemical analysis of food samples is carried out at the Chemical Laboratory of the Koronivia Research Station, while microbiological analysis is done at the Central Pathology Laboratory and the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. If necessary, certain food samples are sent to institutions in Australia and New Zealand for analysis.
The Ministry of Health recognizes the need to strengthen its epidemiology work concerning investigations of foodborne illnesses and to establish a more effective reporting system for food poisoning.
The main food laws currently in force are the Pure Food Act and the Pure Food Regulations. Other food-related laws are the Public Health Act, the Public Health Regulations, the Market By-Laws and the Meat Industry Act. The Pure Food Act is being reviewed and new food safety regulations are being drafted by the Ministry of Health. The new food regulations will contain provisions extending the length of the food supply chain from production to consumption. Provisions governing the advertising and labelling of food commodities will be strengthened and the provision of expiry dates for processed foods will be included. Provisions relating to food additives and pesticide residues in food will also be included. The Pure Food Regulations (1964) already contain some provisions concerning prohibited additives such as colouring, flavouring and artificial sweetening substances.