Food safety in the Philippines: problems and solutions

This is a review of the challenges that are faced by the food safety control and regulatory systems in the Philippines. The components of the national Food Safety Network, namely agriculture and fisheries (fresh produce), the food industry (food manufacturing, distribution and retail outlets), the food service sector (restaurants, caterers, street vendors) and the consumers (household consumption) are described. The corresponding responsible regulatory agencies/bureaus and services and regulatory tools (laws) for each of the components are characterised. The national food safety strategy is being implemented by several government agencies and bureaus and is therefore highly fragmented with plenty of overlap and gaps. This has resulted in more often reactive rather than pre-emptive government response to food borne illness outbreaks and recalls of substandard quality products in the market. A firm declaration of national policy on food safety and the creation of a single authority mandated with a focused integrated and comprehensive plan of action will ensure the delivery of safe food to consumers in the country. An overview of the food safety situation is presented highlighting major problems, and possible solutions are discussed.