E-mail:
Country:
Israel
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Food Control Services, Ministry of Health
Contact person name:
Ziva Hamama Elishov
Website:
Physical full address:
P.O.B 20301 Tel-Aviv 61203
Phone number:
972-3-6270182
Fax number:
972-3-6270140
Country introduction
Summary:
The food control service at the ministry of Health is the regulatory agency responsible for the development of food standards and regulations dealing with foods sold in Israel, including novel foods. That responsibility includes establishing regulations, standards and policies governing the safety, nutritional quality, labelling policies of foods and handles all inspection and enforcement duties. The ministry of Agriculture has responsibility for the regulation of seeds, veterinary biologics, fertilizers and livestock feeds. The ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the regulations and guidelines dealing with cultivating plants with novel traits and dealing with livestock feeds and for conducting the respective safety assessments, whereas the ministry Health is responsible for the regulations and guidelines pertaining to novel foods and for conducting safety assessments of novel foods including foods derived from r-DNA plants (post-harvest). The novel food regulations that deal with foods produced using Gene Technology are about to be published in the next few months. According to the novel food regulations only the GMOs listed in the approved GMO list can legally enter the food supply. Manufacturers or importers are required under these regulations to submit an application for the approval of novel food including GMO, which is not listed in the approved list, to the novel food committee in the food control service. The novel food committee assesses the safety of the novel food on a case-by-case basis. The assessment process must be completed within a timeframe of 6-12 months depending on the complexity of the application. The safety criteria for the assessment of novel foods outlined in the current procedure document were derived from internationally established scientific principles and guidelines developed through the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Framework
Regulatory framework:
My country has a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country has competent authority, agency, organization, ministry, department, committee, commission or a system/mechanism that is tasked to conduct or review GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information:
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
Food Control Services, Ministry of Health ( http://www.health.gov.il)
Assessment
GM food safety assessment guidelines:
My country follows the relevant Codex Guidelines or national/regional guidelines that are in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country regularly conducts food safety assessment of GM food.
Supplemental information on the implementation:
Stacked events
Regulation of stacked events:
In my country, GM food/feed that contains stacked event(s) is considered as a new product even if all single events that are stacked have already approved.
Supplemental information on the stacked events:
Production and trade
GM food/feed production:
My country produces GM food or feed only for research purposes.
GM food/feed imports:
Supplemental information on the production and trade:
LLP/AP incidents
LLP/AP incidents:
I do not know if my country has faced any LLP/AP issues in the last 10 years.
Supplemental information on the LLP/AP incidents:
Labelling requirement
Labelling requirement:
My country is in the process of developing regulations/policies on GM food labeling.
Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment
Other relevant documents:
Country information last modified:
29/04/2016
