MELAKA: The Health Ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Division will be transformed into the Food Safety Authority which is independent and autonomous, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya.
He said the transformation played an important role in enhancing the effectiveness of the body in tackling issues pertaining to food safety and quality which was perceived to be increasingly challenging now.
He said that by becoming an independent and autonomous body it could forge cooperation on safety and quality with equivalent agencies throughout the world.
“This transformation is in line with transformations carried out by other countries worldwide. However, the process is still at the discussion stage and many areas have yet to be scrutinised including the enforcement factor,” he said at a press conference, here yesterday.
Earlier, Dr Hilmi officially opened the 24th Session of The Codex Committee On Fats and Oils which was also attended by rhe Senior Director of the Food Safety and Quality Division, Noraini Mohd Othman. — Bernama