Minister of Agriculture Launched National Food Authority Featured
Nuku'alofa, January 2016. The new National Food Authority was launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fishers, Hon. Semisi Fakahau on Thursday at the MAFFF head office at Ma’ufanga.
Hon Fakahau told guests and officials at the event of the importance of the Food Act in not only addressing food safety in Tonga but also our international obligations to ensure the safety of the food that we provide for human consumption here in Tonga and overseas.
Hon Fakahau said the “GOOD HEALTH” of the people is of high priority to Government.
“We believe we can achieve peace, harmony and prosperity in Tonga. This confirms the importance of the Food Act and the functions of the National Food Authority.”
However,he said ed there will be challenges that will have to be carefully addressed in order to ensure the consistency of the supply of safe food to domestic consumers and compliance of food exporters with accepted sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards.
“Therefore, the priority issues that the National Food Authority will immediately address are the finalisation and endorsement of Food Standards in line with Codex standards, the development of administrative systems to implement and enforce the Food Act, the development of food inspectorate training and food analysis and the establishment of food safety information for both consumers and food industry,” he said.
Hon Fakahua also delegated the responsibilities for the National Food Authority to the National Food Council, with the assistance of the Chief Executive Officer and Food Division of the Ministry.
The Chairlady of the Food Council, Ms Mele ‘Amanaki addressed the stages of Food Control System in Tonga.
“You may recall that last year, a full container of chicken not suitable for human consumption was released from the wharf to the local market and its contents were unable to be recalled,” she said.
“Just at the beginning of this year people from a camp at Liahona were seriously taken ill after eating food provided by the caterers. Despite the efforts, the source of this unfortunate situation was not identified.
“This is confirmation that the Food Control System in Tonga is very weak to ensure consumer protection and fair trade in food.”
She also emphasized the importance of the National Food Authority to the immediate establishing of a National Food Control System.
“We also heard today that food related diseases such as Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and food-borne diseases such as typhoid are the largest contributors to the ill health and mortality in Tonga,” she said.
“Therefore the inauguration of the National Food Authority is timely for us to seriously take immediate actions to set up an integrated National Food Control System to ensure the safety of consumers and to promote fair trade in Tonga and also overseas.”
The National Food Council has seven members, four of whom are from the Government, including the CEOs of Health, Commerce, Customs and Fisheries, one representative from the Food Industry, Mr. Edgar Cocker, one representative from the Consumers Federation, Mrs Betty Blake and a Food Specialist and also the Chair of the National Food Council Ms ‘Amanaki.
Also attending the event was the High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand, the Ambassadors of China and Japan, development partners from FAO and WHO, Districts and Town Officers, Representatives of Consumers and stakeholders of the local food industry.
This National Food Authority came to be when the Food Act was passed in 2014.
MIC
7 comments
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Ikai iai ha taha Toketa moui lelei ia, falalaanga, mo imisi fkapaapa ihe tafaaki kihe Public Health ke sea ihe ngaue ko eni? Ikai pe toe maholoholo e poor decision making ia ae puleanga ko eni. Alu ai Tonga kominiusi.
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To atu e fu'u Chairlady moe Food Specialist 'ae Food Council !! anga fefe ma'u 'e Mary e ngaahi lakanga ni hili ko ia 'oku 'ikai lava 'e hono u'a 'o tala e kehekehe 'oe junk food mei he good food !!! ma'u pe 'etau fua mei he fu'u pola junk food 'ae Trade Union 'a Fisi. Koe 'ai pea tene fakangofua 'e ia e hu mai 'ae junk food mei Fisi kihe ngaahi hotele 'i Tonga ni.
Fakatupu fifili koe 'ikai fakafofonga'i e Potungaue Ako he Food Council he koe ngaahi 'apiako moe fanau ako 'oku lahi taha e hu ki ai 'ae ngaahi me'akai fakatupu mahaki, pea 'oku tonu foki ke tokanga lahi e pule'anga ki he mo'ui lelei 'ae longa'i fanau ako he ko 'ene fehalaaki pe 'enau ma'u me'atokoni ko 'ene fahalaaki ai pe ia 'o a'u ki he'enau lalahi 'o motu'a pea toe lahi ai pe palopalema NCD.
Mei uki 'e Mary ha fu'u 'aukai fakafonua ke kama'aki 'ene ki'i kosilio me'akai ko eni. Pea tau teuteu ai ki he inu hu'akau pahia he 'e toe fakaake e fale hu'akau 'o Mary. -
Ha ha ha! Ma'u e ki'i Council 'a Mary ke kana'i. 'Amusia mu'a e fa'ahinga kakai ia hange ko Mary nofo noa pe ia kae laku atu pe monuu ia. Ko e fo'i version fefine eni o Lavulavu ko e Mary Amanaxx
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Mou kataki tukunoa'i 'a Mele 'Amanaki ke fai 'ene ngaue he 'oku lahi 'ene taukei ne ma'u mei he Union 'a Fiji pe ko e faingamalie 'ena ke fakakake 'a e Fale Hu'akau na'e tu'u 'i he Small Industries.
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'Oku totonu ke 'uluaki 'omai ha fakamatala 'a Mele 'Amanaki pe ko e ha e me'a ne mate ai e kautaha hu'akau ne pule ai pea na 'omai mo 'Akilisi ha fakamatala fakaikiiki hono fakamole 'oe pa'anga ne nau tanaki ke totongi'aki e loea (Dr Harrison). Kau atu ki ai pe koeha ne toe tuku ai 'ene tohi tangi mo e PSA na'e teu ke fai pea ko eha ne toe kai ai 'oku te'eki 'osi 'ene hunger strike na'e fai. Kapau te ne lava 'o tali totonu mo mo'oni e ngaahi me'a ni pea mahalo 'e toki ofiofi ke fai ha tui ki ai.
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Ma'u tama e ki'i Council 'a Mele 'Amanaki ke fakapolitikale'i ke vakavakaua pea mo e PSA e! Toatu e ngaahi 'asenita 'a e TEMO, kuo in kotoa 'enau kautama ka e 'i falemahaki atu e Tangata'eiki ia e! Malie pea toe leso
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ANOTHER GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY?...Do we need another bureaucracy to hire more bureaucrats to police what we eat?
Aren't there laws already in the books for the Health Department to spot check all imported meats, and what the caterers are required to do?
Ms. Mele 'Amanaki is the last person on earth to mandate to me what I should and shouldn't be eating. Her loose lifestyles show me she isn't at the least qualified to tell me what I should be eating.