Minister of Agriculture Launched National Food Authority ^Featured

Hon Fakahau told guests and officials at the event of the importance of the Food Act in not only addressing food safety in Tonga but also our international obligations to ensure the safety of the food that we provide for human consumption here in Tonga and overseas.

Hon Fakahau said the “GOOD HEALTH” of the people is of high priority to Government.

“We believe we can achieve peace, harmony and prosperity in Tonga. This confirms the importance of the Food Act and the functions of the National Food Authority.”

However,he said ed there will be challenges that will have to be carefully addressed in order to ensure the consistency of the supply of safe food to domestic consumers and compliance of food exporters with accepted sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards.

“Therefore, the priority issues that  the National Food Authority will immediately address are the finalisation and endorsement of Food Standards in line with Codex standards, the development of administrative systems to implement and enforce the Food Act, the development of food inspectorate training and food analysis and the establishment of food safety information for both consumers and food industry,” he said.

Hon Fakahua also delegated the responsibilities for the National Food Authority to the National Food Council, with the assistance of the Chief Executive Officer and Food Division of the Ministry.

The Chairlady of the Food Council, Ms Mele ‘Amanaki addressed the stages of Food Control System in Tonga.

“You may recall that last year, a full container of chicken not suitable for human consumption was released from the wharf to the local market and its contents were unable to be recalled,” she said.

“Just at the beginning of this year people from a camp at Liahona were seriously taken ill after eating food provided by the caterers. Despite the efforts, the source of this unfortunate situation was not identified.

“This is confirmation that the Food Control System in Tonga is very weak to ensure consumer protection and fair trade in food.”

She also emphasized the importance of the National Food Authority to the immediate establishing of a National Food Control System.

“We also heard today that food related diseases such as Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and food-borne diseases such as typhoid are the largest contributors to the ill health and mortality in Tonga,” she said.

“Therefore the  inauguration of the National Food Authority is timely for us to seriously take immediate actions to set up an integrated National Food Control System to ensure the safety of consumers and to promote fair trade in Tonga and also overseas.”

The National Food Council has seven members, four of whom are from the Government,  including the CEOs of Health, Commerce, Customs and Fisheries, one representative from the Food Industry, Mr. Edgar Cocker, one representative from the Consumers Federation, Mrs Betty Blake and a Food Specialist and also the Chair of the National Food Council Ms ‘Amanaki.

Also attending the event was the High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand, the Ambassadors of China and Japan, development partners from FAO and WHO, Districts and Town Officers, Representatives of Consumers and stakeholders of the local food industry.

This National Food Authority came to be when the Food Act was passed in 2014.

MIC