In exercise of the power conferred upon him by Section 2 of the Food Safety Act, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, has named February 3, 2020 as the day in which the act shall come into operation.
The commencement order was published in the January 4, 2020 publication of the Official Gazette, and comes three years after it was passed in the house.
The passage of the bill paves the way for the integration of all aspects of Guyana’s food safety system and creates a food safety Authority.
This Food Safety Authority will be responsible for ensuring that all agricultural produce, whether produced locally or be it imported, that is destined for human consumption are of the highest quality and are produced under the strictest of hygienic conditions and are not capable of causing harm to the consumer.
“This food safety system will be created using the farm to fork and one health approach whereby food production will be monitored commencing from the farm level to ensure safety and sustainability of its production in an environmentally friendly manner,” Minister Holder explained in 2016.
With these systems in place, Guyana will see its food safety requirements meeting an internationally acceptable standard, thereby opening up both regional and international markets for produce grown locally, while also ensuring that not only the best but a greater variety of raw products are available for local Agro-processors.
With improved and approved raw material, local agro-processors can now produce products that reach an international standard.
The 92-claused Food Safety Bill was first read in 2016 and sent to a Special Select Committee chaired by the Minister of Agriculture. In February of 2017, the committee made a total of 18 amendments which were presented at the second reading of the Bill.
