​​About Us

The Food Safety Department plays an effective role in implementing the health policy in all food safety-related matters and carries out the powers entrusted to the Ministry of Public Health under Law No. 8 of 1990 regarding regulating the human food control. The Department conducts food control and inspection, in places where food is being handled and food traders to ensure its safety and validity. It also prohibits handling any food that does not meet the specifications and requirements in cooperation with competent authorities. In addition, it responds to emergency cases related to food safety and validity in partnership with more than one entity, manages and operates laboratories to examine and analyze food samples.​

Functions of the Food Safety Department:​

  1. Applying provisions of the law regulating human food control and preparing relevant technical resolutions and requirements.
  2. Proposing policies and developing plans and guidelines related to food safety and validity throughout the stages of the food chain.
  3. Conducting food control and inspection, on places where food is being handled and food traders throughout the stages of the food chain to ensure its safety and validity and prohibit handling of any food that does not meet specifications and requirements in cooperation with competent authorities.
  4. Developing preventive health measures throughout stages of the food chain, according to principles, standards and scientific evidence based on the principle of risk analysis, to protect the consumer's health and carry out such measures with transparency, objectivity and independence.
  5. Participating in preparing, review and developing food standard specifications and related technical regulations.
  6. Developing and carrying out effective food tracking systems, recalling food that does not comply with approved technical requirements, and coordinate with relevant authorities to get the traceability data of agricultural production inputs.
  7. Developing, implementing the procedures related to registering foodstuffs, food with special nutritional use, and food handling facilities and updating their data.
  8. Developing and implementing procedures related to responding to emergency cases associated with food safety and validity, starting from the farm, agricultural production inputs and food handling stages through to the food chain stages, in coordination with relevant authorities and concerned administrative units.
  9. Issuing health certificates for local and exported foodstuffs and food handling facilities through the food chain stages and approving health certificates for imported foodstuffs based on approved technical requirements.
  10. Coordinating with competent authorities on issuing licenses for food handling facilities.
  11. Issuing permits for food handling business practitioners.
  12. Coordinating with competent authorities on preventing food advertising that is contrary to provisions of the law which regulates human food control.
  13. Approving Islamic bodies, slaughterhouses / abattoirs and Halal food exporting companies in coordination with competent authorities.
  14. Managing, operating and developing laboratories for testing and analyzing food samples and related items, and issuing related clear laboratory reports.

By these functions, the Food Safety Department targets:

  1. All food handlers
  2. Food importing and exporting companies
  3. International and regional bodies responsible for food safety
  4. Restaurants, factories and their employees​