The following information has been provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a contribution to this project. It is authorised information provided to the WHO by the relevant government. The project would welcome additional material in the usual FLIP2000 format.
Food safety administration in Tuvalu is the responsibility of the Health Division of the Ministry of Social Services. The work is carried out by one health inspector who is assisted by the senior medical officer. The health inspector is responsible for the regular inspection of food establishments and for monitoring the quality of food.
Food legislation
The food legislation is contained in Chapter 39 of the Laws of Tuvalu (1973), namely the Pure Food Ordinance. The main provision is to ensure the wholesomeness and purity of food. Annex 1 indicates the food safety elements covered by the Pure Food Ordinance.
Except for exempted foods, every package of food must be labelled with the trade name and description of the food, net weight, measure or volume thereof, and name and address of the vendor or manufacturer.
Approval for the licensing of food premises is granted when the health inspector is satisfied that the premises conform to the sanitary requirements. The local authority's public health by-laws provide for the closure of unhygienic food establishments.
The one health inspector in Tuvalu deals with all aspects of community health, including food hygiene. The Pure Food Ordinance empowers the inspector to enter and inspect any food premises, examine food articles and take food samples for analysis.