REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON PEACE - WORK - FATHERLAND
LAW N° 2018/020 OF 11 DEC 2018
FRAMEWORK LAW ON FOOD SAFETY
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The Parliament deliberated and adopted, the President of the Republic hereby enacts the law set out below:
# CHAPTER I ## GENERAL PROVISIONS
I - PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION
SECTION 1: This law lays down the principles and bases for regulating food products, feed for animals intended for human consumption and food additives and supplements, in order to ensure a high level of consumers life and health protection and environmental soundness.
SECTION 2: The provisions of this law shall apply to the production, manufacturing, preparation, handling, parcelling, storage, transportation, packaging, preservation, import, export, distribution and sale of food products or any other related activity.
SECTION 3: This law seeks to:
- ensure consumer food safety;
- prevent and control food-borne diseases;
- make the declaration of food poisoning mandatory;
- promote national and international food trade by establishing an effective safety system based on scientific principles;
- contribute to establishing specific standards for food products consumed and marketed in the country, and ensure their application in control and monitoring plans;
- improve the quality of food produced domestically by implementing good production, manufacturing and hygiene practices, and a sanitary and phytosanitary risk control system;
- facilitate the integrated management of food safety at the various stages of the food chain;
- promote mechanisms for coordination between the various relevant food sector authorities and gradually prepare them to incorporate their activities into regional or international organizations, notably Codex Alimentarius (CODEX), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN);
- develop an efficient official inspection and control system based on standards, technical regulations and, as appropriate, scientific data;
- support and stimulate the development of the food industry and encourage competitiveness on the domestic and international market;
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- promote the participation of consumers and various stakeholders in the food chain with respect to the consumption, processing and marketing of food products, as well as in the application and conduct of the national food safety policy;
- establish a framework to facilitate the implementation of national and international food requirements;
- strengthen the responsibility of any producer, processor or distributor in the protection of consumers' health by setting up self-checking systems and release for consumption authorizations;
- ensure communication on risks, in conjunction with epidemiological surveillance networks and early warning or health surveillance systems;
- set up a national system of authorizations for the consumption of foodstuff, animal feed, food additives and supplements.
II - DEFINITIONS
SECTION 4: For the purposes of this law, the following definitions shall apply: