Somalia
Country introduction:
Since its establishment in 2020 under the Somali Standards and Quality Control Act, the Somali Bureau of Standards (SOBS) has served as the national food safety authority. Its core mandate includes protecting consumers from harmful and substandard food products, ensuring compliance with international food safety standards, and conducting risk-based evaluations and inspections. SOBS also supports local producers in meeting food safety requirements and contributes to global efforts in standard development through active regional and international engagement.
Regulatory framework:
My country does not have a regulatory framework that requires the competent authority to conduct safety assessment of GM food.
Structure for GM food safety assessment:
My country does not have a structure for GM food safety assessment.
Supplemental information (regulatory framework):
Steps are being taken to enable the country to have the necessary systems and structures in place
Relevant contact details:
The Somalia Bureau of Standards is an independent national agency, established by the Somali Standards and Quality Control Act (Lr27). It became operational in 2020. Its main roles include establishing a robust food quality infrastructure for Somalia (standards, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment), as well as the national food safety authority protecting the safety of consumers from harmful and substandard products imported to Somalia, promoting export through standards harmonization, supporting standardization of local production, and affiliating to the regional and international standard bodies to contribute to the efforts made in standard development.
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 in line with the Codex Guidelines in conducting safety assessment of GM food.
Conduct of GM food safety assessment:
My country has never conducted safety assessment of GM food and will not (be able to) conduct such assessment in the near future.
Supplemental information (assessment):
Regulation stacked events:
The country is in the process of developing relevant policies on assessment of stacked events, or there is no specific regulation on stacked events.
Supplemental information (stacked events):
GM food/feed production:
My country does not produce any GM food or feed.
GM food/feed imports:
My country allows imports GM food or feed upon authorization.
Supplemental information (production and trade):
LLP/AP incidents:
My country does not monitor LLP/AP situations.
Supplemental information (LLP/AP incidents):
Labelling requirement:
My country is in the process of developing regulations/policies on GM food labeling.
Supplemental information (labelling requirement):
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