Focal Point Information

E-mail:

[email protected]

Country:

Haiti

Organization/agency name (Full name):

Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Contact person name:

Reynold MENAGER

Website:

http://MCI.Gouv.ht

Physical full address:

8,Rue Legitime Champ de Mars

Phone number:

50937270520

Fax number:

50922238402

Country introduction

Summary:

IN HAITI, Various Public Administrations intervene primarily or occasionally in the regulation and official control of food products sold on the local market, including genetically modified foods. Responsibilities are shared by the ministries involved in this control:

The Ministry of Agriculture of Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR): Responsible for developing inspection and control standards for products, establishments and processes throughout the food production phase, programming and coordinate the implementation of these technical standards in cooperation with the Minister of Public Health and Population; protect animals and plants against pests and animal and plant diseases that can be transmitted to humans through food

Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP): Responsible for regulating public health activities related to hygiene and food safety at the point of sale of foods of animal and vegetable origin intended for food human; develop the technical standards for the inspection and control of animal and plant products as well as derived products at the level of the centers or points of sale in conjunction with the MARNDR; identify cases of food poisoning and zoonoses occurring in the country through active and passive surveillance, determine etiology and risk factors and, if possible, treat them

Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI) intervenes through:

1.- Its Quality Control and Consumer Protection Department: Responsible for ensuring the economic protection and consumer safety as well as the fair functioning of markets by fighting against fraudulent practices, particularly those harmful to health, falsification of foodstuffs, possession of products that are falsified or unfit for consumption, ensure the quality and conformity of food products with the requirements of the standards (technical specifications defined by the manufacturer, national and international standards, etc.); implementation of the national metrology system and its functioning on a sustainable basis.

2.- Its Haitian Bureau of Standardization: In charge of elaborating national technical standards on the quality (nutritional, health ...) of the food products in collaboration with the sectors concerned and to contribute to their diffusion, to deliver signs of quality like the labels, the brands, the appellations of origin, the composition and the nature of the product.

Haiti does not have a specific mechanism for GM food safety assessment, in principle, GM foods are evaluated like any other single event on a case by case basis

Framework

Regulatory framework:

My country has a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.

Structure for GM food safety assessment:

My country has competent authority, agency, organization, ministry, department, committee, commission or a system/mechanism that is tasked to conduct or review GM food safety assessment.

Supplemental information:

Contact details of the competent authority(s) responsible for the safety assessment and the product applicant:

Directorate of Quality Control and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Haïti (www.mci.gouv.ht), Email: [email protected]

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:

Stacked events

Regulation of stacked events:

In my country, GM food/feed that contains stacked event(s) is not considered as a new product.

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 is in the process of developing regulations/policies on GM food labeling.

Supplemental information on the Labelling requirement:

Relevant links to documents and information prepared by the competent authority responsible for the safety assessment