As the Maldives works towards ensuring safety and cleanliness standards in its food production and distribution, the Ministry of Health gears up to introduce the first-ever National Food Safety Council board membership. This comes after the President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu ratified the Food Safety Act, which provides a comprehensive framework for the regulation of food safety. With this Act, the Government or the necessary body can ensure that all the food products, whether locally produced, imported, or exported are devoid of harmful substances and comply with the established standard.
In order to further ensure that the food safety rules and set guidelines are followed properly, the Ministry of Health has now opened applications for the National Food Safety Board membership. As the ministry opens up this opportunity to be one of the first-ever food safety council board members, interested candidates are given the opportunity to apply for this role with the deadline set for the 10th of October, 2024. The candidates can apply for three specific fields which include:
- Food science expert
- Representative of service recipients
- Representative of food establishments
The board will fulfil roles under the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) which include advising on food quality, nutrition, and health safety and providing solutions to challenges in enforcing the Food Safety and Security Act.