Harmonising Food Control Requirements in ASEAN to Remove Trade Barriers
Friday, 18 July 2014. 2014, ASEAN Secretariat News
JAKARTA, 18 July 2014 - A Workshop on Review and Development of Guidelines on ASEAN Common Food Control Requirements (ACFCRs) was held on 14 – 15 July 2014 at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, to review the existing ACFCRs published in 2006 and the proposed new draft Guidelines. The workshop was held in conjunction with a meeting of the PFPWG Task Force on Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on prepared foodstuff. Representatives of ASEAN Member States food regulators and food standards agencies attended the workshop.
The ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACSSQ) Product Working Group on Prepared Foodstuffs (PFPWG) has been actively supporting ACCSQ in its task to eliminate technical barriers to trade in the prepared foodstuff sector as part of its efforts in realizing the ASEAN Economic Community. Among the initiatives include the development of harmonised food control requirements for ASEAN. These harmonised requirements provide a basis for Member States to establish compatible domestic regulations that will enable respective regulatory agencies to have mutual confidence in the food control systems implemented with regard to ensuring the safety of food and providing for fair trade practices.