Definition of Terms
- Extensive definitions provided for key concepts such as adulteration, food business, food hygiene, authorization, contaminant, hazard, good practices, and risk analysis.
- Clarifies roles and scope of food safety regulatory agencies (FSRAs) across DA, DOH, and other bodies.
- Defines the food supply chain, good practices, and technical terms essential to enforcement and compliance.
Basic Principles of Food Safety
- Food safety assessment considers typical consumer use, production conditions, plant and animal health, and information available to consumers.
- Food declared safe when compliant with national regulations; imported foods undergo inspection.
- Safe food standards do not preclude additional restrictions in the interest of consumer safety.
General Principles
- Food law aims to ensure high levels of safety, health protection, and fair trade practices.
- Food safety measures are to be based on scientific risk analysis, independent and transparent risk assessment, and appropriate risk management and communication.
- Consumer interests protected by preventing adulteration, misleading labeling, and false advertising.
- Food safety standards set by DA and DOH guided by international standards like Codex with government-supported participation.
- Precautionary measures adopted when scientific evidence is insufficient, ensuring proportionality and minimal trade restriction.
- Transparency mandates public consultation and risk communication.
- Import and export foods must comply with Philippine laws and international agreements with inspections at ports of entry.
Responsibilities on Food Safety
- Food business operators have primary responsibility to ensure food safety throughout the supply chain and must initiate recalls and cooperate with authorities.
- DA focuses on food safety in primary production and post-harvest stages.
- DOH oversees processed foods and epidemiological studies.
- LGUs regulate food safety in markets, restaurants, and other local food businesses.
- DILG supervises the enforcement of food safety and sanitation rules within jurisdictions.
- DA and DOH tasked to provide technical assistance and capacity building for LGUs.
Specific Responsibilities of Key Agencies
- DA agencies regulate fresh plant, animal, fisheries, and aquaculture foods; develop and enforce food safety standards.
- DOH implements controls over processing, packaging, post-market monitoring, and epidemiology; advocates food safety awareness.
- DILG and LGUs enforce sanitation and food safety locally, support data collection and participate in standards development.
Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board
- Created to coordinate and monitor the food safety roles of DA, DOH, DILG, and LGUs.
- Handles crisis management, policy coordination, and submits reports to Congress.
- Composed of key department heads and representatives from agency and local government sectors.
Crisis Management
- A rapid alert system shall notify risks to human health from foods.
- The Board can impose emergency measures including market suspensions and import restrictions.
- A general crisis management plan shall be prepared for emergencies.
Implementation of Food Safety Regulations
- Official controls are regulatory mechanisms to ensure compliance with food safety laws.
- Controls must be risk-based, transparent, impartial, and properly funded.
- Traceability systems required to track food and production inputs through the supply chain.
- Licensing and registration of food establishments mandatory with special considerations for micro, small and medium enterprises.
- Regular inspections conducted based on risk assessment frequencies.
- Food testing laboratories must adhere to international accreditation and validated methods.
Training and Consumer Education
- Regular training for food operators especially MSMEs on safe practices, laws, and HACCP.
- Mandatory safe food handling training for food handlers.
- Government personnel receive scientific and enforcement training.
- Consumer education coordinated with the Department of Education for broad public outreach.
Food-Borne Illness Monitoring, Surveillance, and Research
- Integrated food-borne disease monitoring system linking contamination sources.
- Government and academe to run research for cost-effective compliance technologies and practices.
Policy on Fees
- DA, DOH, and LGUs authorized to collect fees related to inspections, certifications, and testing, aligned with government financial rules.
Prohibitions, Penalties, and Sanctions
- Prohibited acts include selling unsafe food, refusal of inspection, adulteration, misbranding, unauthorized operations, and collusion.
- Penalties escalate from fines and suspensions on first offenses to imprisonment, hefty fines, and permanent revocation for serious violations causing injury or death.
- Special penalties for government personnel, naturalized citizens, and aliens including deportation and cancellation of registration.
- Corporate officers can be held liable; licenses revoked if violations occur.
Final Provisions
- DA and DOH to issue implementing rules within 90 days.
- Separability clause preserves unaffected provisions if part of law is invalidated.
- Repeals inconsistent laws, decrees, and regulations.
- Law takes effect 15 days after publication in newspapers.