E-mail:
Country:
Kiribati
Organization/agency name (Full name):
Ministry of Health and Medical Services
Contact person name:
Tebikau Tibwe
Website:
Physical full address:
MHMS, POBox 265, Bikenibeu, Tarawa
Phone number:
+(686)73007059
Fax number:
(686)28152
Country introduction
Summary:
Kiribati is one of the LDC's situated in the Central Pacific and made up of 33 islands in three island groups that extend from the International Date Line to South of Hawaii. The dispersed islands makes food safety assessment very hard for the three organisations regulating food safety assessment, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), the Agriculture and Livestock Division (ALD) of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development (MFMRD). The Environmental Health Services of the MHMS is responsible for the enforcement of the Food Safety Act, 2006; The Fisheries Division of the MFMRD enforces the Fisheries Act, 2011 and ALD of MELAD enforces the Biosecurity Act, 2010.
Framework
Regulatory framework:
My country does not have a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country does not have a structure for GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information:
There is a need to determine whether this falls within the Food Safety area that is under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services mandated in the Food Safety Act, 2006 and regulations 2016 or should be done as a specialty for Agricultural and Livestock Division (ALD) of MELAD
Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:
ALD - Responsible for plants and animal products (IMPORT PERMIT)
HEALTH - Responsible for prepackaged and processed products
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MCIC) - Consumer rights, Price Control,
Customs Dep't - Levy
Assessment
GM food safety assessment guidelines:
My country does not conduct safety assessment of GM food but the country has, or the country is in the process of developing national/regional guidelines that are not in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country has never conducted food safety assessment of GM food but is planning to conduct such assessment in the near future.
Supplemental information on the implementation:
This is something important that needs to be discussed at the national level. Will try and bring this to the attention of the National Codex Committee
Stacked events
Regulation of stacked events:
There is no regulations in my country on stacked events.
Supplemental information on the stacked events:
Production and trade
GM food/feed production:
My country does not produce any GM food or feed.
GM food/feed imports:
My country may import GM food or feed and there is no authorization process.
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 does not have any labeling regulations/policies on GM food.
Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:
Will need to review the available legislations
Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment
Other relevant documents:
Country information last modified:
12/04/2018
