Country paper

Workshop on food safety regulations and related issues.

Sri Lanka food industry sector consists of a wide range of industries varies from minor scale to large
scale manufacturing entities. The type of products range spread from milk, meet, fish, cereal and spices
to confectionaries sweet and beverages. 29% of the revenue in this sector is generated by mixed
processed products. These products are mainly catered to ethnic expatriates and Asians live in the
develop countries. The manufacturers started producing new items such as ready-to –eat food,
processed and frozen fruit & vegetables, marine & meat products, beverages etc.

Meet and
Fish

Cerereal,Milk Food spices

and sweet industry

Beverages

Sri Lanka is a member of international food safety authorities network (INFOSAN) covering 181 countries
involved in production, distribution and marketing of food in the world. Each member status have
designated contact points to enable the member states to link up with INFOSAN for any exchange of
information ,promote partnerships and strengths the capacities for mitigating/managing food safety risk
and challenges of global interest. However, Sri Lanka is yet to confirm to this international facilitation
system.

Modern food and food control management recognizes that a systems approach is needed which is risk
and evidence based out comes focused recognized the food chain framework that encompasses food
from primary production through processing and manufacture to final consumption.

The national food control system in Sri Lanka operates through the advice nary committee of the
ministry of health. The role of food advisory quality and the infrastructure represented by the food
control administration unit largely focus on end-product testing of foods after secondary processing at
marketing or at servings of food .

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Food Industry SME’s

The Government of Sri Lanka recognizes SMEs as the backbone of the economy, as it accounts for more
than 75% of the total number of enterprises, provides 45% of the employment and contributes to 52%
of the Gross Domestic Production (GDP). The Sri Lank Government has been engaged to promote
policies for SMEs which helps to expand SMEs production into export market. In this scenario, SMEs
need support for modernization and expansion of their food sector. Therefore, the capacity of SMEs
needs to be improved. Testing and Research & Development are important activities in a food
industry. Laboratory facility is important to assist in Product development for SMEs. At present
entrepreneurs frequently engage in innovations and they are trying to compete with foreign markets. So
that, it is significant to test the samples before release them to the local as well as global markets.

Import Control Activities (Based year 2017)

Import control activities are carried out by food and drug is inspectors in the port. Despite a cadre of 33
food and drug inspectors only.50 are available to carry out food control activities at central level and the
sea port, airport container terminals inspection of documents food and food sampling according to the
sampling plan is done by the staff at the entry point.

Imports and exports are regulated through the imports and exports (control) Act, 1969.customs work
with responsible domestics departments in the clearance of goods. All importers are required to be
registered under the Act foods to be imported should be categorized by food safety risk and compliance
history.

Table one food inspection activities at rank container terminal (RCT)

Activities 2015 2016 2017

1 Number of consignments 35096 36520 40459
inspected (FCL)
2 Number of consignments 01 33 03
rejected
3 Number of consignments 425 3551 3660
released o ware house
4 Total number of samples 8349 6809 6494
sent to laboratories.
5 Number sample sent to 6315 4783 4649
Atomic Energy Authority
6 Number of samples sent to 1091 1673 1644
NIHS
7 Number of samples sent to 363 177 201
NIHS.

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Table 2 Food inspection activities at seaport

Activities 2015 2016 2017

1 Number of consignments 1415 1188 1812
registered
2 Number of samples taken 60 19 20

Table 3 food inspection activities at airport

Activities 2016 2017

1 Number of consignments 3595 4201
received
2 Number of consignments 3595 4201
inspected
3 Number of consignments 00 16
referred to FCAU
4 Number of samples sent to 42 00
analysis.
5 Number of satisfactory 42 00

Export Certifications
Export certificate for exporting food consignments are issued by the food control administration unit
and a team comprising a medical officer and a food and drug inspector inspect factories and necessary
action are carried out before issuing export certificates .seventeen food exporting factories were
inspected for the year of 2007 and necessary action were taken for improvement.

Activity 2016 2017

1 Number of health certificate issued 9868 11320
2 Number of food factories registered 76 49
3 Total number of factories registered 748 797
as an export food factory at FCAU

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National regulatory frameworks have to be adjusted to meet international and regional obligations
while the distribution of responsibilities for the food sector at national level requires rigorous review.
Traditionally inspection and monitoring activities have often been dispersed among ministries of health
veterinary services, agriculture and fisheries with the concomitant administrative burdens and
inefficient resource use. Acknowledging the need to update and modernized there food regulatory
frameworks, many countries have been reviewing their foods legislation and related enactments to
identify gaps and overlaps in responsibilities in the food control systems and to foster collaboration
among responsible ministries. There is a growing tendency to combat fragmentation and to improve the
national legal and administrative framework by adopting a basic food law which establishes a primary
authority to oversee the food system “From farm to work”.

Recommendation
Those recommendation should address the whole food chain and set clear operational targets for
improvements in food safety management systems and food safety outcomes in Sri Lanka.

 Targets for development of regulatory standards / review of standards based on international

codex standards.
 Capacity buildings of regulators.
 National residue and contaminant monitoring programmers.
 Implementation of training and education programmers on food safety management.
 A strategy for development of laboratory capacity commensurate with systems approaches to
food safety management.