Bouari Delegates Food Safety Oversight to Private Entities Instead of ONSSA and Sets Conditions for Accreditation and Monitoring
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed Bouari, has decided to delegate the responsibilities of health inspections in the food sector, which were previously handled by the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), to public bodies and private entities. This will be based on specific conditions outlined in a contractual document to be signed between the office and the appointed entity.
This decision, published in Official Bulletin No. 7471 under Number 2010.25, is based on the laws regulating food product safety, specifically Law No. 25.08, Law No. 28.07, and Decree No. 2.10.473, with reference to the previous decision No. 244.13 concerning the health accreditation of institutions and companies in the food sector and animal nutrition, excluding retail sales and collective catering.
The decision stipulates that ONSSA will delegate its responsibilities regarding regular health visits to food institutions and companies to the appointed entities under the specified conditions, outlining the procedures for submitting accreditation requests and the review of files by the office’s director general within a period not exceeding 30 days.
Accreditation will be granted for a period of five years, renewable, while allowing the office to continue monitoring the compliance of the delegated entities with the contractual terms. This includes the option to suspend or withdraw accreditation in cases of violations, with a set period for rectification ranging from one to six months before any final decision is made.
