1. Part I : How safe are the food we consume?
Part II : Strengthening Analytical Capacity

2. Vital Statistics Population annual Growth rate – 0.93% (2015)
Life Expectancy at Birth ( ) CSU
Total –74.9yrs
Female yrs
Male – 72.0 yrs
Adult Literacy Rate (2012) CSU
Total : 95.7 %
Male : 96.9 %
Female : 94.6 %
MMR: 33.8/ 100,000 LB (2016) FHB
IMR : 8.2/1000 LB (2013) RG
Low Birth weight – 16.0% (2015) MSU
Food Safety ???
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

3. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

4. Food Safety Food Safety Food Legislation and standards
Food control activities
Food Safety
Food Safety
Food analytical capacity
Inter-sectorial coordination
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

5. Legislation and standards
The primary law is the Food Act No.26 of 1980
Regulations published in terms of section 32 of the Food Act.
Present there are 32 food regulations
Food Advisory Committee (FAC)
Sub-committees
Food Standards - developed at two levels, regulatory under the Food Act
and voluntary national standards by SLSI.
National Food Safety Policy
National CODEX Committee (NCC) Chairperson, Secretary
National CODEX Contact Point (NCCP).
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

6. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

7. Food control activities
Food control activities are of 3 fold
Import control
Domestic food control
Export certification
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

8. Import control
Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1969
Post-arrival, all imported foods on the market are subject to inspection.
Involvement of many ministries. departments and other Institutions.
(DoA), DAPH, DFAR, SLSI and Ministry of Health)
High quarantine risk imports of plant or animal origin –Prior notification
Sri Lanka is a signatory to the National Trade Facilitation Agreement
(NTFA) of World Trade Organization.
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

9. Domestic control Export control
1800 authorize officers country-wide to carry out domestic control
Food Act - food establishment be registered
Bottle water
Export control
All exporters need to be registered - Imports and Exports Control Act
All the export certificates are signed or countersigned by FCAU
Testing of samples is done by the exporter from approved laboratories.
Export factory inspection
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

10. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

11. Trends of Main Food & Waterborne Diseases in Sri Lanka 2009-2017
Source - Epidemiology Unit

12. Trend in Food Poisoning
Source - Epidemiology Unit

13. Food Poisoning 2017

14. Source - Epidemiology Unit

15. Food Poisoning 2016

16. Food Poisoning 2016 (Incidence per million)

17. Food Analytical Capacity

18. External assessment of the Food safety system 2016 FAO
External assessment of Food laboratories 2016 WHO

19. Food analytical capacity
seven official food control laboratories carrying out testing of foods under the Food Act. Government Analyst Department and addl approved analyst
Samples are drawn by the PHI/FI and submitted to these laboratories . The reports are sent to the respective PHIs.
Laboratories in the government sector
Laboratories set up with financial
assistance from the government
Private sector laboratories
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

20. Problems identified in Food analytical capacity
Cadre vacancies of analytical staff - grave problem
All labs need to get accredited for credibility of results.
National laboratory management and networking system.
The networked labs will be reporting test data to FCAU on real-time basis in a computerized IT environment.
Facilities to test heavy metal or pesticide residue must be available
Special tests of food and food grade packaging material
Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety

21. Activities identified to improve analytical capacity
With UNIDO support has initiated accreditation process of all 6 food laboratories
Establish Food laboratory steering committee under the FAC
Identify specific additional testing capacity Eg.
i. Pesticide residues-GAD and NIHS
ii. Heavy metals in water and food-GAD and Anuradhapura lab
iii. Aflatoxins -GAD and NIHS
Sweeteners, flavour enhancers and Antioxidants –GAD and NIHS
v. City Analyst Colombo-Fatty acid pattern in oils and quantification of colours present in food
Identify additional analytical capacity from accredited government laboratories.

22. Registrar of Pesticides – Pesticides in water, fruits and vegetables and Heavy
Metals in Food
02. Water Resource Board – chemical analysis in water (excluding heavy metal)
03. National Water Supply and Drainage Board – water analysis including heavy
metal
04. NARA – Fish and fish products for Histamine and heavy metals
05. Tea Board – Black tea and green tea chemical and microbiological testing
06. Veterinary Research Institute – antibiotic residues
07. Coconut Development Authority – testing of Coconut products, coconut oil and other oils
08. Palmyra Board – Palmyra Jiggery and treacle
09. Food Safety and Quality Assurance Laboratory Department of Veterinary
Public Health and Pharmacology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
Science University of Peradeniya - Antibiotic residues
10. Sri Lanka Standard Institute – Sugar and sugar products, milk and milk
products,
11. Industrial Technical Institute - antioxidants, flavors and flavor enhancers,
sweeteners, Aflatoxin and testing of food packaging material

23. Over all challenges Food laboratories not attractive
No opportunities for career development or promotion pathway
No work satisfaction due to limited in country training and oversees exposure
No appreciation mechanism
Less priority compared medical laboratories
High turnover of support staff

24. Despite the above issues
We are indebted to the staff working in the laboratories despite the above hardships in assisting to report on Food samples be it may formal samples or food surveillance samples
We need to work together to make food safe for all of us

25. Directorate of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food safety