Vanuatu

Codex Contact Point

Codex Contact Point Vanuatu Ministry of Health PMB 009 Port-Vila, Vanuatu

Fax:
+678 26113

Competent authorities

Name of authority:
1. Ministry of Health

2. Ministry of Agriculture

3. Department of Trade
Mandate/competence:
1. Food safety control - Inspection & Compliance

2. Food production & Bio-security (security)
3. Ensuring trading of food are in-line to codex & WTO requirements.

INFOSAN Emergency Contact Point

The current INFORSAN emergency contact point has left and the new contact point is;

Name: Nellie Ham Muru

Email address: [email protected]

Position: Acting Manager, Environmental health Unit

Area of expertise : Food safety

Phone:+678 7736663 or +678 7762259

Mailing address: Private Mail Bag 009, Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Preferred language: English

Food safety and consumer protection – laws and regulations

The current list of legislation, related to food safety and consumer protection in each country, is extracted from FAO's database on Food Legislation FAOLEX. While FAOLEX makes every effort to serve as a high quality, reliable source of information, no guarantee is given that the information provided in FAOLEX is correct, complete, and up-to-date.

The national Codex programme

National Codex consultative mechanism

All matters relating to the codex program on food safety is coordinated by the National Codex Committee which consist of food safety stakeholders including government and Non- government organization. If in anywhere a food safety is raised the committee will be informed the issue is brought forward to the committee for consultation and actions needed to be taken either by a single agency or in a collaborative approach.

Providers of scientific and technical input to national consultation on Codex

The department of Agriculture is conducting safety studies on the quality of Kava. There is very little scientific activities in the country.

Risk Assessments and Scientific Data

National bodies providing risk assessment and scientific advice

There is very little activities done on this area in the country.

Risk assessment, risk profiles, scientific opinions

None

Official Laboratories

Official Laboratory:
Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS)
Official Competence:
Limited to certain test only.

Surveillance of foodborne diseases and monitoring of food contamination

National surveillance systems – foodborne disease in humans

Syndromic surveillance system usually detect sudden onset of diseases that may be related to food-borne illness. The country also have the health information system as well as the syndromic surveillance system for certain number of diseases.

National monitoring systems – foodborne hazards in the food chain

The health information system (HIS)and the syndromic surveillance systems are two systems that can detect likely disease patterns that may be related to a food a hazard.