2005
The Law no. 117 of 1994 concerning consumer protection represents the framework for food control in Tunisia ; the Law covers not only foods but all products. Accordingly, the National Board of Consumer Protection was established.
Agencies responsible on food control in Tunisia include: Ministry of Interior and Local Development (through Municipalities); Ministry of Trade and Traditional Industry (quality enhancement and violations); Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources (veterinarian and plant origin field); Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Energy and Small and Medium Size Enterprises and Direction of Hygiene and Environmental Protection.
The latter Ministry intervenes through several agencies, which include the National Standards and Industrial Property which sets national standards with the participation of various concerned parties including consumers represented by the Consumer Protection/Defence Organizations, and the Technical Centre for Food Industries, which contributes to supporting the national programme for capacity building of food industries, focusing on the application of HACCP in food production unites.
It is important to note that various ministries work through central and branch departments according to country's administrative organization. Additionally, the National Agency for Health and Environment Control carries out vertical coordination of control agencies responsible for product safety. This agency analyses and evaluates risks and reports to concerned specialized parties.
All departments involved in food control work with a coordinated logic through committees in which all concerned agencies are represented. As for official food standards, 80% of national standards comply with international standards and work is undergoing to revise the remaining standards to bring in harmony with international standards, where these exist.
Active laboratories include: Central Laboratory for Analysis & Research and its provincial branches; National Nutritional Institute; Pasteur Institute; various specialized laboratories attached to the Ministry of Agriculture (i.e. veterinary medicine institute, pesticide laboratories, laboratories of the High Institutes for agricultural science and research); higher education universities laboratories (i.e. national research and physiochemical analysis Institute, national scientific and technological research Institute); laboratories of various Boards such as the National Oil Board; the Laboratories of the International Centre for Environmental Technology; and in the near future, the laboratories of the Technical Centre for food Industries.
The agency responsible for laboratory accreditation is the National Accreditation Board, working under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and SMEs, which has accredited various laboratories. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Provision of safe and healthy food for all communities of the UAE is a priority of the Government which publishes the statutes concerned and establishes standards institutions. The food control system and the laboratories are responsible for setting codes, standards and procedures and executing inspection on food throughout the food chain.
In the domain of standards, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is the responsible agency through national technical committees with members of all agencies related to both the public and private sector. The Authority coordinates with the standards institution of the GCC for standards harmonization through the GCC.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is responsible for legislation and control of animal production. It supervises the import, handling and use of pesticides and has specialized pesticides laboratories and has recently established a new laboratory for pesticide residues in food.
Municipalities, through their health department and control food and laboratory departments and administrations, are responsible for executing the work and procedures for enforcing standards and food control systems on processed domestic and imported food products according to the statutes in place.
There are six food laboratories related to municipalities in the UAE. Three of these laboratories have been accredited according to ISO 17025 and equipped with high tech analytical equipment and biological techniques.
The National Food Safety Committee which is formulated within the General Secretariat of the UAE Municipalities has representatives from all concerned governmental agencies, including the Customs Authority. This Committee is responsible for supervising the enforcement of food safety systems and coordination between member agencies. Additionally, it puts forward draft policies and legislations concerning updating systems and food safety procedures.
Codex Alimentarius standards, codes and guidelines are the key reference to ensure that they are either adopted or considered when formulating national food safety standards and legislation. Currently, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is the national focal point for Codex and is formulating the national Codex committee.
A new draft food law is currently being prepared. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is the SPS focal point, whereas the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is the TBT focal point. In 2004, a new national system was put in place whereby the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology is charged with conducting laboratories accreditation and providing conformity certification.
Consumers in Tunisia are represented through the Consumers Protection Defence Organization, which is an independent organization with various branches in the country and intervenes directly in food control by obtaining samples and analyzing them, then submitting files which prove technical and economic violations to concerned official agencies. The Organization has, among its members, specialized volunteers in various sectors such as physicians, pharmacists, engineers, veterinarians, etc. The Organization with its branches plays an important role in consumer awareness and guidance through audio visual and written mass media. The Organization is active officially with technical committees in preparing standards and is a member of the Tunisian Codex Committee by a Republican decision and in all its technical Codex National Committees.
Information last updated - January 2007