2005
Access to safe and healthy food is a priority for countries and in Lebanon is increasingly becoming the top priority of relevant public institutions. Despite the efforts already made, controlling food quality and safety remains a crucial issue in the country. The problem of unsafe food is still growing at the national and international levels, especially in relation to international trade of food and agricultural products. The enforcement of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) requires countries to strengthen their quality control and quarantine systems and also urges producers to take the required actions.
Lebanon is trying to modernize its food safety legislation and is strengthening public administrations concerned with quality control in the food chain continuum (from farm to table). Examples of these recent developments include: Laws on Animal Quarantine; Plant Quarantine; Food Safety; International Trade; Standards and Metrology; Consumer Protection; modernization of the institution responsible for standards and regulations; and the institution of the National Food Safety Day.
Consumer participation in food standards is very weak, but it is expected that consumers will take an important role in the National Codex Committee, which is being constituted.
Information last updated - January 2007