Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10611)
Republic Act No. 10611 shall be known as the Food Safety Act of 2013.
The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and maintain a farm to fork food safety regulatory system that ensures a high level of food safety, promotes fair trade, and advances the global competitiveness of Philippine foods and food products.
The specific objectives are to: (a) Protect the public from food-borne and water-borne illnesses and unsanitary, unwholesome, misbranded or adulterated foods; (b) Enhance industry and consumer confidence in the food regulatory system; and (c) Achieve economic growth and development by promoting fair trade practices and sound regulatory foundation for domestic and international trade.
Adulteration refers to food bearing or containing poisonous or deleterious substances, filthy or decomposed substances unfit for human consumption, food prepared under unsanitary conditions, foods from diseased animals, or any other act that makes the food injurious to health or misleading in presentation.
Food business operators are persons engaged in the food business, including agents, who are responsible for ensuring compliance with food safety requirements in their operations within the food supply chain.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Local Government Units (LGUs) have specific food safety regulatory responsibilities as delineated in the Act.
The DA is responsible for food safety in primary production and post-harvest stages, enforcement of standards for fresh plant, animal, fisheries and aquaculture foods, and monitoring contaminants in these foods.
Penalties include fines ranging from P50,000 to P500,000, suspension of operating authorizations, imprisonment of 6 months to 6 years for serious violations, revocation of authorization, and additional penalties for government personnel or aliens including deportation and cancellation of naturalization certificates.
The FSRCB coordinates the implementation of food safety mandates across agencies, resolves jurisdiction overlaps, manages crisis responses in food safety emergencies, establishes coordination policies, and monitors the effectiveness of enforcement.
Food business operators must be able to identify suppliers and customers of food, food-producing animals, and production inputs, and maintain systems and procedures to provide this information to regulatory authorities upon demand.