The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has introduced new Food Packaging and Labelling Regulations, granting businesses in the food industry six months to ensure full compliance with the new requirements.
The regulation came into effect upon its publication in the Government Gazette and replaces the previous national standard governing the labelling of packaged food products.
Under the new rules, all food products must be packaged using food-grade materials specifically intended for food use. The regulation also prohibits the sealing of food products in plastic bottles, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, that are designed for single-use disposal and are not certified as food-grade containers.
The MFDA has been granted the authority to withhold, suspend or revoke the licence or registration of importers, exporters and labelling businesses whose negligence poses a risk to public health. The regulation further makes it an offence to import, manufacture, label or seal any food product that is incorrectly labelled at its point of origin, whether directly or through a third party.
For the importation or manufacture of mislabelled food products, a first offence carries a fine of USD 649 and the withholding of a licence for seven days. A second offence carries a fine of USD 6,485 and suspension of the licence for 15 days, while a third offence carries a fine of USD 48,638 and cancellation of the licence. Where mislabelling causes harm or endangers human life, offenders may face a fine of up to USD 64,851.
The regulation also imposes penalties for general labelling violations. A first offence carries a fine of USD 649, a second offence USD 6,485, a third offence USD 32,425, a fourth offence USD 48,638 and a fifth offence USD 64,851. A licence will be revoked upon a fifth offence.
Businesses have six months to ensure that all packaging materials meet the new food-grade requirements, replace non-compliant PET bottles and update product labels in accordance with the MFDA’s standards. The authority stated that failure to comply within the specified period will result in fines and could lead to the suspension or cancellation of operating licences.
The previous national standard for packaged food labelling has now been repealed. The MFDA has warned that continued non-compliance will be subject to the full penalties outlined in the new regulation.