2013 food safety control measures - asean-agrifood.org

Food Safety Control MeasuresCountry Report for Lao PDR

2013

ContentsContents ......................................................................................................................iList of tables ............................................................................................................... iiList of acronyms .........................................................................................................iiiExecutive summary .................................................................................................... vAcknowledgement .....................................................................................................viii1. Food economy and trade of Lao PDR .................................................................... 1 1.1CountryprofileofLaoPDR .............................................................................. 1 1.2 International trade ............................................................................................1 1.3 Cross-border trade of food ............................................................................... 3 1.4 Food production ...............................................................................................4 1.5 Food industry ...................................................................................................4 1.6 Health and hygiene ..........................................................................................5 1.7 Consumer concerns and food safety ............................................................... 6 Technological advances in food production ...................................................... 7 Environmental issues ........................................................................................7 Major consumer concerns about food quality and safety .................................. 8 Acceptable and appropriate food ...................................................................... 82. Food safety management system of Lao PDR ...................................................... 11 2.1 Food safety administration .............................................................................. 113. ASEAN Common Food Control Requirements (ACFCR) in Lao PDR................... 164. Overview of the current status of food safety control measures............................ 20 4.1 Principal food safety law .................................................................................20 4.2 Food safety related laws .................................................................................20 4.3 Standards and standard development in Lao PDR ......................................... 23 4.4 Food testing and inspection laboratories ........................................................ 24 4.5 Monitoring, market surveillance, and investigation systems ........................... 26 4.6 Risk management ...........................................................................................28 4.7 Status of SPS, Codex standards, and related Issues ..................................... 29 4.8 Accreditation ....................................................................................................30 4.9 Human capacity ..............................................................................................31 4.10 Education and training programmes ............................................................. 31 4.11 Consumer protection .....................................................................................325. Capacity building gaps and needs........................................................................ 346. Recommendations for strengthening food safety control ..................................... 367. Conclusion .............................................................................................................39References ................................................................................................................40Appendices ................................................................................................................42Appendix 1: Research framework and methodology ................................................. 42Appendix2:ScheduleofCIfieldvisitandstakeholders ............................................ 46Appendix 3: Schedule of the Round Table Discussion .............................................. 48Appendix 4: List of participants for Round Table Discussion ..................................... 49

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List of tablesTable 1: Food Safety Committees in Lao PDR........................................................................ 11Table 2: Key elements of a food safety plan ........................................................................... 12Table 3: Organisational functions related to food safety suggested for improvement ............. 37

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List of acronyms ADB Asian Development BankACCSQ ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and QualityAEC ASEAN Economic CommunityAMSs ASEAN Member StatesAFTA ASEAN Free Trade AreaAHTN ASEAN Harmonised Tariff NomenclatureAOC Actual Operating ContextASEAN Association of Southeast Asian NationsASDSP Association pour le Soutien au Développement des Sociétés PaysannesARASFF ASEAN Rapid Alert System for Food and FeedCB Capacity BuildingCI Consumers InternationalCOA CertificateofAnalysisCP Consumer ProtectionCSO Civil Society OrganisationCIAT Centre for Tropical AgricultureDOA Department of AgricultureDOLF Department of Livestock and FisheriesESR Emerging Diseases Surveillance & ResponseEU European UnionFDD Food & Drug DepartmentFDQCC Food & Drug Quality Control CentreFAO Food and Agriculture OrganisationGAHP Good Animal Husbandry PracticeGAP Good Agricultural PracticesGDP Gross Domestic ProductGHP Good Handling PracticeGIZ German Society for International CooperationGIs Geographical IndicatorsGMOs GeneticallyModifiedOrganismsGMP Good Manufacturing PracticeGS General SurveyHACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control PointHDI Human Development IndexIAF International Accreditation ForumICT Information Communication TechnologyISO International Organisation for StandardisationILAC International Laboratory Accreditation CooperationITU The International Telecommunications UnionKII Key Informant Interviews

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LDC Least Developed CountryLNAB Lao National Accreditation BureauLMO LivingModifiedOrganismsMAF Ministry of Agriculture & ForestryMOIC Ministry of Industry & CommerceMOH Ministry of HealthMoST Ministry of Science and TechnologyMRA Mutual Recognition ArrangementsNAHC National Animal Health CentreNCC National Codex CommitteeNGO Non-Governmental OrganisationNZAID New Zealand’s International Aid and Development AgencyRTD Roundtable DiscussionSAEDA Sustainable Agriculture & Environment Development AssociationSCP Sustainable Consumption and ProductionSPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary StandardsSTDF Standards and Trade Development FacilitySTEA Science, Technology and Environment AgencySME Small to Medium EnterpriseSPS Sanitary and PhytosanitaryTA Technical AssistanceTBT Technical Barriers to TradeUN United NationsUNDP United Nations Development ProgramUNIDO United Nations Industrial Development OrganisationUNISDR UnitedNationsOfficeforDisasterRiskReductionVAT Value-Added TaxWHO World Health OrganisationWTO World Trade Organisation

Effectivefoodsafetycontrolmeasuresarecrucialtoensuringconsumerconfidenceinthemarketplace. The objective of this research is to document national food safety control mea-sures in Lao PDR, as well as the control systems for food imports and exports. We aim to highlight the challenges that the country is facing in establishing and strengthening the key components of the food control system to ensure safety along the whole food chain conti-nuum, meeting Codex standards along with the obligations of the World Trade Organiza-tion. This report is the result of primary and secondary research carried out by Consumers International looking at the overall legal framework, institutions, measures and human re-sources, as well as any gaps. It focuses on the Lao experience, including both the country’s food safety control measures and the complexities of the consumer perspective. It high-lights the challenges that the Lao PDR is facing, particularly with import and export control systems. The report provides several recommendations, emphasising the importance of carrying out a long-term technical assistance programme for Lao PDR to raise food safety to the level of other ASEAN countries.

With a high prevalence of poverty on the one hand and rapid economic development on the other, Lao PDR – one of the least developed countries among the ASEAN Member States – is opening up to regional and international trade integration, particularly at the ASEAN level. Economic growth fuelled by trade has been a driving force for Lao PDR in progressing towards socio-economic transition. Since the 2000s, the government has intro-duced market-oriented reforms by enacting different policy frameworks to ensure an open-doorpolicytowardsbothprivatedomesticandforeigndirectinvestment.Anothersignificantstep in the reform process was Lao PDR’s admission to ASEAN in 1997. This provided for increased regional integration and further trade liberalisation measures, including the reduction and elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to regional trade required under the ASEAN Agreements and Protocols.

With regard to food safety control in the country, Lao PDR must strengthen the enforce-ment of existing laws and regulations and improve the capacity of the existing infrastructure andskilledhumanresourcesoftherelevantorganisations.Ourresearchidentifiedvariousneeds to address the above capacity gap and offers the following recommendations to im-prove food safety control measures in the country:

• Recruitpersonnel(qualifiedandcertifiedfood inspectorsand laboratory technicians)to improve thescientificcapacityofLaoFDD(toconduct testingofGMOfoodsandquantitative analysis of tests)

• Train middle-level management and specialists in MAF, MOH, NSTA and provinces on

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Executive summaryThis Country Report describes the outcome of a project on “Food Safety Control Measures in Developing Asian Countries”, conducted by Consumers International from April to May 2013. It is a part of a country report series aimed at mapping and taking stock of Food Safe-ty Control Measures and initiatives in the country to ensure consumer protection against unsafe food.

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WTO accession. This training should build on the Cambodian and Vietnamese experi-ences of accession. As part of this training, focused help should be given to make the SPS/TBT Enquiry Point operational

• Help increase awareness and facilitate the implementation of relevant international standards, GAPs, GHPs and GMPs

• Assist in the surveillance of foodborne hazards, pests and diseases. A project is re-quired to help with the design and implementation of surveillance and data collection on the most important pests, diseases and food hazards, and assist in the evaluation and sharing of data, in particular with trading partners. A second stage of such a project would focus on using the data to establish risk-based management systems for food safety, plant health and animal health risks.

• Assist in the training, development and application of SPS Management. Training of staff and specialists is crucial for building a viable SPS system

• Help improve inter-agency coordination (an integrated multi-sectoral system) so the Food Safety Policy is implemented effectively with all the agencies involved performing an appropriate role

• Help develop independent consumer organisations, facilitating consumer representa-tion in government and technical committees relating to food safety

• Help strengthen effective participation in Codex and standards development and en-forcement

• Help develop a strong network at local and ASEAN levels• Institute an effective enforcement system coupled with updated equipment (with com-

munications setups at border checkpoints, updated laboratories and testing kits), a- dequate manpower (more personnel in testing laboratories and surveillance work) and trained manpower (e.g. training in import inspection/import standards and training in food safety testing)

This project also aims to document and address consumer lifestyles, demands and con-cerns with regard to food safety. In particular, the project emphasises four primary areas:

• the import sector (inspection procedures and import conditions)• the structural conditions for controlling food and agricultural produce• the technical requirements for controlling food and agricultural produce• consumers’ food safety concerns

The overall objective of this project is to strengthen food safety measures and standards in order to protect and promote consumer health by controlling the entire food chain; and to strengthen the role of consumer organisations in monitoring and carrying out surveillance of markets in Lao PDR.

Consumers International carried out the study in cooperation with its members in the res-pective countries and partners or appointed local focal points. In Lao PDR it was conducted with the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment Development Association (SAEDA) as the local focal point.

Organisation of the ReportThis report is organised into six sections. Section 1 provides the background and introduc-tionontheproject.Section2outlinesthegeneralbackgroundandprofileofLaoPDRandconsumer food safety concerns in the country. Section 3 describes the methods applied for datagatheringthatledtotheoutcomesandfindingspresentedinthisreport.Thefindingsofthe project are presented in Sections 4 and 5. Section 4 presents an overview of the current status of food control measures in Lao PDR. Section 5 summarises the recommendations for strengthening food safety control measures in Lao PDR and Section 6 draws an overall conclusion for the report.

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AcknowledgementConsumers International would like to express its gratitude to the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment Development Association (SAEDA) for facilitating and coordinating the logistics of the research. We are thankful to our Key Informants from the Food & Drug Ad-ministration & Food and Drug Quality Control Centre (FDQCC) (Ministry of Health), the Consumer Protection and Competition Division (Ministry of Commerce), National Animal Health Laboratory (NAHL), Department of Agriculture (Ministry of Agriculture), the Food In-spectors at the Thanaleng Border Check Point, WHO-Lao PDR and Lao Farmers Products (ASDSP).

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1. Food economy and trade of Lao PDR

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1.1 Country profile of Lao PDR

Lao PDR or Laos is a landlocked country sharing its inter-national border with Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. According to UNDP’s HDI statistics 2013, one third of the population are living below the internation-al poverty line (i.e. living on less than US $1.25 per day).With US$1,010 GNI per capita in 2011, Lao PDR has risen from a lower income to a lower-middle income economy. The country is endowed with rich natural resources com-prising dense forest, arable agricultural land and abun-dant hydropower and minerals, which constitute more than half of the country’s total wealth. World Bank statis-tics show that the hydropower and mining sectors togeth-er account for about one third of the country’s economic growth.Growthinthesesectorshasresultedinsignificantincreases in revenue which have translated into poverty reduction.

Lao PDR is gradually increasing its integration into ASEAN and the global economy with the potentialforgrowthincross-borderinvestmentandexports.LaoPDRhasmadesignificantprogress in addressing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the national level, includ-ingtrackingmalnutrition(40%ofunder-fivechildrenarestunted),measlesimmunisation,skilled birth attendance and some dimensions of gender equality. In February 2013, Lao PDRofficiallybecameafullmemberofWTO.

The government’s poverty reduction strategy to meet the MDGs by 2015 is laid out in the National Social and Economic Development Plan (NSEDP). It aims to foster equitable eco-nomic growth by developing and modernising the country’s social and economic infrastruc-ture. Gradual economic and business reforms since 2005 have liberalised domestic mar-kets, with a stock market opening in the capital, Vientiane, in 2011.

1.2 International trade

Laos International Trade in the Encyclopaedia of the Nations indicates that Lao exports are considerablydiversified.ThelargestexportearnerforLaoPDRistimberandfurniture(28%of exports), followed by garments (19.9%), raw logs (10.6%), electricity (9.2%), manufac-tured products (8.6%), coffee (7.7%), agricultural products (5.5%), gold re-export (4.7%)

Lao PDR at a glance:Population: 6,645,827 (2012)GDP: USD$ 9,298,926,552 (2012)GDP growth: 8.1% (2012)Health (Life Expectancy at birth): 68.7 (2012)Inflationrate:4.2%(2012)Health Expenditure: 2% of GDP (2013)

(Central Intelligence Agency, The World Fact Book 2013).

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and motorcycle assembly (3.9%). With regard to garment exports, Nike, for example, is now sourcing some apparel production in Lao PDR. Imports consist primarily of consumer goods (44.6%), capital goods (40.2%) and industrial inputs (11.9%).

Approximately 65% of Lao PDR imports are from neighbouring Thailand, while only 22% of its exports go to Thailand. In contrast, 42.7% of exports from Lao PDR go to Vietnam, while only 6.5% of its imports are from that country. Also,11.1% of imports come from China. Thus, Lao PDR has an extremely favourable trade balance with Vietnam. Other leading ex-port destinations for Laos are, in order of importance (after Vietnam and Thailand): France (6.3%), Germany (5.1%) and the U.K. (4.7%).

According to FAO statistics, between 1995 and 2005 cereal imports (rice, wheat, and maize) represented a major share of consumer goods imports. On average, about 65,000 metric tons of cereals were imported annually through the commercial sector. Rice was the main item, accounting for more than 70% of total cereal imports. Import and food aid increas-es tend to occur simultaneously and compensate for production failures, mostly due to droughts. According to a food market study undertaken by World Food Programme in 2008, rice importsprimarilygo tonorthernprovincesexperiencingcritical ricedeficits,andaremainly supplied by Thailand, Vietnam and China.

As far as trade is concerned, most of the products entering Lao PDR require authorisation from several national and provincial authorities. A large number of approvals and informal payments are still required to move food into the country. Lao PDR has implemented the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN), which has resulted in a tariff reduction on ASEAN origin products of 5%.

As 80% of Lao PDR’s external trade is with ASEAN countries, its participation in the ASE-ANFreeTradeArea(AFTA)isasignificantliberalisingstep.However,LaoPDRretains88items of special concern on which tariffs remain high – the highest number of such special status products in the ASEAN.

There are non-tariff barriers on a number of products (including agricultural products), which weaken the private sector capacity to meet emergency needs. The law prohibits importing domesticallygrownagriculturalproductsinquantitiessufficienttomeetdemand.

Itisnotcurrentlycost-effectivetotransportfoodfromsurplustodeficitareaswithinLaosdue to poor road infrastructure and the high cost of transportation. By contrast, it is cheap-er to attempt to trade with provinces in neighbouring countries. As a result, an average of 45,000 metric tons of rice is imported every year, representing 79% of total commercial cereal importations.

Importers must submit an annual importation plan to the Ministry of Commerce or the rele-vant provincial authorities, and may import against the plan only during the following year. This policy leads to delays in private food imports for emergencies resulting from natural

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disasters. In April 2011, Lao PDR enacted a Decree on Import and Export of Goods, which prescribes principles, rules and measures on the import and export of goods in order to facilitate, promote, and administer trade. Imported goods are allowed to enter Laos based onthecertificationoftheexportingcountry.Interestingly,LaoPDRhasnospeciallabellingor marking requirements.

All goods and services are subject to a turnover tax of either 5% or 10%, with lower rates or exemptions applied to domestic products.

1.3 Cross-border trade of food

Twelve international border check points in Laos are involved in the import and export of foodproductsfromthefiveborderingcoun-tries. FAO statistics show that cross-bor-der trade is important for food needs in the northern provinces. The Bank of Thailand estimates that unofficial cross-border tradewith Thailand is equal to 50% of officiallyrecorded trade. Major import items to Lao PDR are construction materials, fuel and lubricant, consumer goods, processed food and vehicles and their spare parts.

Processed food imports (excluding rice) include monosodium glutamate, sugar, condensed milk and seasoning sauces, in-cluding beverages from Thailand. The major exports to Thailand are wood and wood pro-ducts, coal, lignite, agricultural products and forest products. Some agricultural products such as paddy are processed in Thai border provinces and re-exported to Lao PDR. According to the Bank of Thailand, trading takes place between Thailand and six provinces in northern Laos, particularly that of Oudomxay province. Consumer goods are imported and agricultural products (including forest prod-ucts) are exported by Lao residents. However, with regard to total goods, northern Lao PDR is a net importer in border trade with Thailand.

Informalbordertradehasanimpactonfoodavailabilityandpricedynamics.Anoutflowofrice results in the depletion of domestic stocks, reduction of rice surplus and increased pres-sureonlocalfoodavailabilityanddomesticprices.Aninformalinflowofriceisbeneficialfornet consumers through its price stabilising effect, but detrimental to net producers in surplus areas. In rural areas, lack of market knowledge causes imbalanced pricing transactions between traders and households (producers and consumers).

Imported food product from a supplier certified with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from

a neighbouring country

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The agricultural sector contributes just 5% of registered exports, as the government has increased restrictions on rice exports in order to prevent rising prices. However, in the north, rice surplus districts are still exporting rice to China, despite not having estimated provincial levelriceself-sufficiencyandbeingsurroundedbysignificantrice-deficitprovinces.

Surpluses along the Southern Lowland Mekong Corridor region are experienced in trade withThailandandVietnam.In2008,farmersinChampasackfounditextremelydifficulttofindamarketfortheprovince’ssurplusrice.ThiswasbecauseThailandrestrictedLaoriceimports due to quality standards and rice-variety control. At the end of 2008, the province still had some of last season’s stock in storage and remained dependent on traders to main-tainthemarketbyincreasingtheflowtoSavannakhetandpotentiallyVietnam.

As a part of the research, a visit was made to Thanaleng border checkpoint in Vientiane, which is an international border with Thailand. During the visit, the CI team interacted with the Food Testing inspectors at the border from Vientiane Municipality and Food & Drug De-partment (FDD) under the Ministry of Health (MOH). It was noted that border trade is poorly controlled in terms of certain standard procedures to be followed by the importers.

Accordingtofirst-handinformationfromtheFoodTestingInspectors,importedfoodpro-ducts are randomly checked for their expiry date, quality and content. In the case of per-ishable goods, inspectors will be involved in verifying the temperature of the imported food, aswellasthephysicalverificationoftheexpirydate, labelling, price tag and net weight of the product.

Although basic testing equipment (procured with support from Japan) for determining chem-ical and residual analysis in imported food ex-ists, the equipment is underused due to a lack of capacity and knowledge. The products are sent for FDA Laboratory testing in Vientiane only when inspectors feel there is cause for suspicion.

1.4 Food production

Secondary research indicates that subsistence agriculture still accounts for half of the GDP and provides 80% of employment in Laos. Only 4.01% of the country is arable land, and a mere 0.34% is used as permanent crop land. Laos’s main crop is rice, which is grown on thefertilefloodplainof theMekongRiver.Ricedominatesagriculture,withabout80%ofthe arable land area used for growing rice. Approximately 77% of Lao farm households are self-sufficientinrice.Througheconomicreformsandthedevelopment,releaseandwide-spread adoption of improved rice varieties, production increased by an annual rate of 5%

GPHF-Minilab test kit available at the border check point, for rapid drug quality verification and detection of counterfeit medicines

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between 1990 and 2005; Lao PDR achieved a net balance of rice imports and exports for thefirsttimein1999.ItisbelievedthatLaoPDRhasthegreatestnumberofricevarietiesinthe Greater Mekong Sub-Region. Since 1995, the Lao Government has been working with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of the Philippines to collect seed samples of each of the thousands of rice varieties found in the country. Apart from rice, vegetables and fruit, spices and cotton are also grown in the country.

1.5 Food industry

In Laos the food and agriculture-based processing industry constitutes the most important factor in transforming agricultural products into cash crops for local and foreign markets. Within this industry, there is a high prevalence of traditional and family-based food process-ing activities. Some food and agriculture-processing factories are now producing canned fruit and vegetable products for export and sugar, soft drink, beer, fruit juice, drinking water, tobacco,cassavaormaniocflour,instantcoffeeandcookingoilforbothlocalandforeignmarkets.Manytypesofflourproducedfromavarietyofcropssuchassweetpotato,mani-oc, cassava and banana are also exported.

Based on the secondary research, it was observed that food and agriculture-processing factories generate a substantial amount of employment. For instance, there are two re-cently-established sugar factories producing brown sugar from sugar cane for export. The smaller factory creates more than 800 direct and 13,000 indirect jobs for villagers, and was said to need about 10,000 tons of raw sugar cane per day. The bigger sugar factory pro-duces 60,000 tons of brown sugar annually, of which 90% is exported and 10% is for the local market. Last year, its export value reached US$15 million. The government stimulates and promotes such food and agriculture-processing industries by giving incentives and cre-ating a favourable investment climate.

1.6 Health and hygiene

Infant and maternal mortality rates remain high in Laos; diarrhoeal diseases, food poison-ing, typhoid fever, and hepatitis A are prevalent. With 70% of the population at risk, malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of dengue fever has also increased in recent years.

Research shows that infant deaths are primarily due to communicable diseases; cholera and diarrhoea remain the main causes of mortality as well as morbidity. Regular outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea occur during the rainy season when drinking water is contaminat-ed by human and animal waste washing down hillsides. Only a few rural households have pit or water seal toilets. People commonly relieve themselves in the brush or forested areas surrounding each village. For children in these villages, many of whom are chronically un-dernourished, acute or chronic diarrhoea is life-threatening because it results in dehydration and can precipitate severe malnutrition.

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Although food nutrition appears to be minimal within the general population, health sur-veys indicate varying quality. Village diets in Laos are predominantly based on rice, with vegetablesasa commonaccompaniment andanimal protein– fish, chickenandgame– consumed irregularly. Research indicates that children aged six months to two years (the weaning period) are particularly susceptible to under-nutrition. The nutritional status of adults is related closely to what is grown on the family farm, as well as to dietary ha-bits. For example, fresh vegetables and fruit are not highly valued and are therefore not consumed in adequate amounts. As a result, there is a risk of vitamin A, iron and and calci-umdeficienciesthroughoutthecountry.

Trichinellosis, which is an important and under-recognised foodborne zoonosis in South-East Asia, is also prevalent in Laos. Officially,theoutbreakoftrichinellosiswasrecorded in 2003. Consumption of un-cooked or fermented pork at funeral and wedding ceremonies was the main source of infection. Research indicates that trich-inellosis may be an under-recognised but important endemic disease in Laos, em-phasising the urgency of implementing vet-erinary and educational programs.

1.7 Consumer concerns and food safety

In general, food safety is characterised by the suitability for consumption of food products and protection of consumers against foodborne health risks. Food safety depends upon good farming practices, for example in the use of pesticides and veterinary medicines, or control of hazards and contaminants. It is the duty of the different actors in the agricul-ture-food chain – governments, farmers, processors, distributors and others – to ensure that food is safe to consume.

Among all of the actors, the government is vital in developing, setting and administering food safety measures. It must consider consumer protection against contaminated or adulterated food,whileatthesametimeensuringfoodsufficiency.Nowadays,developingcountriesandcountries in transition are victims of widespread food adulteration, a major issue in some South Asian and South-East Asian countries. These issues are effectively trans-bound-ary issues and are interrelated with health and trade matters. To understand the situation, GIZ–CI initiated a project documenting efforts and initiatives relating to food safety control measures in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The rationale for selecting these countries is that they have market access for goods and services with interconnected trade routes and common international borders that allow import and export between the coun-tries. Food and food-related products are most commonly traded among these countries.

Clean premises and safe food promoted and dis-tinguished for healthhier choices in Vientiane

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Confidence in thesafetyand integrityof the foodsupply isan important requirement forconsumers. Foodborne disease outbreaks involving agents such as Escherichia coli, Sal-monella and chemical contaminants highlight problems with food safety and increase public anxiety that modern farming systems and food processing and marketing do not provide adequate safeguards for public health. The factors conducive to potential hazards in food include improper agricultural practices, poor hygiene at all stages of the food chain, a lack of preventive controls in food processing and preparation operations, the misuse of che-micals, contaminated raw ingredients and water and inadequate or improper storage. These issues of food quality and safety have assumed greater prominence in almost all countries, including Laos.

In spite of increased attention to the issue, unsafe food is still a problem in most countries, with hazardous contaminants that can cause consumer sickness, either immediately or by increasing the risk of chronic disease. Contaminants include microbial pathogens, para-sites, mycotoxins, antibiotic drug residues and pesticide residues. Millions of consumers suffer and/or die each year from diarrhoea and other foodborne and waterborne illnesses. IntheAsia-Pacificregion,morethan700,000peopledieannuallyfromfoodandwaterbornedisease caused by microorganisms. The WHO estimates that almost two million children in developing countries die each year from diarrhoea caused mainly by foodborne disease. EventhoughsomerecentpublichealthemergenciesinAsiasuchasavianflu,Nipahvirusand SARS are clearly not foodborne diseases, they are, to a certain extent, related to either the way food is produced or how food animals are handled.

The costs of foodborne disease and food contamination are great. They include personal suffering, loss of family income, increased community health care costs and loss of trade revenueand industrial productivity. In financial terms, the cost is estimated to bemanybillions of dollars annually. Research in this area clearly indicates that existing conditions seem to be highly unhygienic and cases of food contamination are widely reported. This mayevenresultinmicronutrientdeficiencies,malnutritionandstunting,obesityandothernutrition-related chronic diseases, which can affect mothers during pregnancy as well as affecting adolescent eating habits and lifestyles.

Technological advances in food productionConsumers are concerned and disturbed about technological advances in food production whereproductsseemartificial.Theyaregenerallyopposedtotheintroductionandproli-feration of new and more complex products, sophisticated marketing techniques and in-creasing technological complexity. Irradiation technology for food preservation and the use ofmicrowaveovens,thoughscientificallyprovensafe,arestillnotfullyacceptabletomanyconsumers. In addition, the use of biotechnology or genetically engineered products is high on the list of consumer worries.

Environmental issuesThe use of pesticides in agriculture and the detection of pesticide residues in food frequent-ly attract the attention of consumers in their quest for food safety and a chemical-free envi-

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ronment. Other concerns include fear of possible migration of chemical leachates from food packages,stimulatedbyisolatedresearchfindingsonthesubject.

Major consumer concerns about food quality and safetyA number of food related factors are often considered by consumers in making informed choices. These factors include the following:

• Standards: Consumers feel that they do not always get fair value for their money. They are discontented with food that spoils or fails to meet expectations in taste, aroma and palatability.

• Nutritional quality: In many developing countries, adulteration deprives consumers of nutritionalvalue. Indevelopedcountries,consumersaredissatisfiedwith inadequatenutrient information on labels.

• Food control system: While consumers are aware that food control regulations exist, they are not convinced that they are applied effectively. Some food producers and dis-tributors feel that they can ignore the law with impunity.

• Information: Consumers believe that the government and industry do not provide enough information to enable them to make an informed choice. Very often, food labels do not carry adequate, easy-to-read information. Information from government, industry andothersourcesisoftenunclearormaybeconflicting.

• Environmental contamination: Consumer concern has grown rapidly over possible environmental contamination of the food supply during various stages of production, harvesting,processing,storageanddistribution.Peoplelackconfidenceintheabilityoffood control services to provide the necessary protection.

• Irradiation and biotechnology: Consumers feel that some processes using new tech-nology are unsafe because they have not been adequately evaluated. Reliable informa-tion about newer technologies is not always available.

Thelisthasbeenfurtherextendedtocovergeneticallymodifiedorganisms,allergens,ve-terinary drug residues and growth-promoting hormones used in the production of animal products. Consumers expect protection from hazards occurring along the entire food chain from primary producer to consumer (often described as the farm-to-table continuum). Pro-tection can be ensured only if all sectors in the chain are operationally integrated and ad-dressed by food control systems.

Acceptable and appropriate foodDecisionsregardingfoodsafetymustbalancecostswithbenefits;thisalwaysinvolvesva-lue judgements. For example, food additives or pesticide residues: How safe is safe? An amount that one person may consider to be acceptable may be considered risky by anoth-er. Risk perception does not always correspond to statistical evidence. For example, many consumers are more worried about pesticide residues in food than about microbes. Yet microbesinfood,accordingtotheavailablescientificdata,actuallycausemoresicknessand death than pesticides in food.

Ultimately, who decides what an acceptable risk to society is? All sectors of society must be

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involved in the decision-making process. This will help everyone to better understand the compromises required. A person who has been actively involved in decision-making and whose concerns have been addressed during the process will have a stake in and support theresults.Thefinaldecisionwillbeacceptabletoalargersectorofsocietyasitismorelikely to match society’s overall values. Therefore, the participation of consumer represen-tatives in decision-making processes can foster appropriate solutions.

As all of the stakeholders are involved, each can contribute effectively to address concerns. The simplest solution that truly addresses the problem (rather than the perception of the problem by a small group of people) can then be adopted. A wide range of participants also allows for an interdisciplinary approach to a problem. If used well this should result in a more comprehensive approach and prevent a situation in which a solution merely creates another problem.

From the Citizens’ Report on the State of Competition Law in the World, Lao Peoples’ De-mocratic Republic, published by CUTS International, it is noted that although Lao economic performance has improved considerably in recent times, a large number of consumers still finditdifficulttoaccessmostbasicutilitiesintheirdailylives.Mosthouseholdproductioninrural areas is consumed within the family. The absence of cash crops is another factor that relates to a lack of access to other basic needs such as clothing, health care, education and sanitation. Lao producers of agricultural goods, and, to a large extent, consumers of other goodsandservicescannotaffordtofulfiltheirbasicneeds.

Water and sanitation is still a big problem in Lao PDR. Although access to piped water or water from protected wells/boreholes has doubled since 1995, only 50% of the Lao po-pulation now have access to safe water in villages, according to the village heads. In rural areas without road access, only 24% have access to safe water in the village. Half of the population does not have toilets. While poverty deprives the Lao consumers of access to basic utilities, government budget and technological constraints and low consumer aware-ness expose the population to many products, production processes and services which are below standard, or even hazardous to health or life.

The CUTS report further illustrates that consumers are totally ignorant of their legitimate rights to protection against possible abuses. As a result, few complaints or cases of con-sumer abuses are reported. Unfair, uncompetitive practices have been noted in Lao PDR in thecaseofsteelbarsanddrinkingwater,wherefiercercompetitionhasinducedmanufac-turers to reduce product quality and standards in order to lower prices. There are also cases of misleading advertisements and deceitful promotional programmes. Redress of damages is not feasible for consumers. The new Consumer Protection law passed in 2011 must be implemented and enforced via in-country consumer protection activities.

Regarding food safety, the prevalence of contaminants in foodstuffs and misuse of agri-culture-chemicals represent a threat not only to domestic consumers in Laos, but also to export opportunities. In 2013, as reported by the Laos News daily, the Director General of

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the Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Department remarked that “People living in Laos are still facing health risks from the consumption of unsafe food due to the country’s lack of necessary equipment and expertise to test food quality.” These are latent threats. Fish exportsareagoodexample.Atpresent,regionalexportsoffisharesmall,ortakeplaceonaninformalbasis.ExpansionofLaotianfishexportstohigher-valuerawfishproductswillbe increasingly called into question or subjected to costly sub-deep-freezing treatments if the general sanitary, and particularly the trematode, situation remains the same. Thus the current sanitary situation acts as a potential brake on future growth.

Research noted the popular Lao custom of eating raw food materials. One of the con-cernsidentifiedistheprevalenceofcholera,oftentransmittedinruralareasthroughmealscooked using unsafe water. In addition, the contamination of food with harmful substances such as pesticides and chemical residues, formaldehyde, and food colouring is said to be common throughout the country. The producers and importers of such items do not always ensure the quality of their products and their safety to consumers. Eating out and buying cooked foods from wayside food outlets is quite common in Laos, particularly in the urban areas. Small eating houses and pavement-cooked food stalls are a common sight.

These places do not appear to maintain proper standards of hygiene and safety in food handling, nor are they regularly inspected. Stomach disorders related to food infections after eating out are frequently reported. Most imported and locally produced food items are well packed with sealed packaging. However, the packing and wrapping of fresh foods such asfish,meatandcookedfoodsisoftenunhygienic.Theuseofsoilednewspapersandpa-ges torn from used exercise books is not uncommon. In addition, concerns exist regarding the dumping of environmentally damaging or unsafe products from neighbouring countries. Herbicides and insecticides that have not been approved for use in Lao PDR make their way through its porous borders or as residue in imported foods.

In the dry season, farmers in the northern part of Laos rent their dry rice paddies to Chinese tenants to use for vegetable cultivation. These tenants bring their own equipment, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides from China. There is no product standard control. When the pad-dy is used again for rice cultivation in the wet season, any chemicals used will have leached into the soil and may contaminate the rice.

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2.1 Food safety administration

The National Food Safety Policy enacted in February 2009 in Laos ensures the safety and quality of food in Lao PDR throughout the food chain. There are two national-level food safety committees in Laos as described in Table 1. Enforcement of the food safety law, however, requires the cooperation of multiple agencies including:

• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry• Ministry of Health • Ministry of Industry and Commerce • Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)• National Water Resource and Environment Agency • Ministry of Finance• Ministry of Information and Culture• Ministry of Education• Ministry of Security• National Tourism Agency• Ministry of Women’s Union• The relevant central and local public and private sectors in the food chain

Table 1: Food Safety Committees in Lao PDRCommittee Headed by Members ResponsibilitiesNational Food and Drug Administration Committee

Chaired by the Minister of the Ministry of Health

• Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)

• National Wa-ter Resource and Environ-ment Agency

• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

• Ministry of Industry and Commerce

• Consider the law, decrees and the regulation of food safety control measures in Laos cover-ing primary production, domes-tic distribution, exportation and importation

• Handle complaints or proposals from citizens relating to the food quality, standard and food activi-ty management and inspection

• Exchange lessons and expe-riences on science and tech-nology and coordinate with the concerned sectors in food management and inspection in

2. Food safety management system of Lao PDR

Table 1: Food Safety Committees in Lao PDR (continued)

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Committee Headed by Members Responsibilities• Ministry of

Finance• Ministry of

Security

order to effectively implement the law and related regulations

National Codex Committee

Chaired by the Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology; with the Mi-nistry of Health as the Codex Focal point

• Ministry of Industry and Commerce

• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

• The Committee is responsible for the implications of standard-isation of food and food control issues for international agencies and the region.

• The Committee ensures techni-cal cooperation related to food quality control with Codex and other related agencies in Laos. It circulates the relevant Codex to the member committees con-cerned.

• The Committee considers Co-dex documents and comments, and participates in Codex meet-ings (supported by the Codex Trust Fund).

Food safety control measures were developed by committing all key ministries to address food safety along the length of the food chain. The goals are to reduce morbidity and mor-tality due to foodborne illness and to promote safe food production and the international and domestic trades in safe food. The Food Policy highlights the need to prevent foodborne illnesses and other adverse consequences of unsafe food as a major component of the Lao PDR Government’s approach to achieving economic growth and the sustainability of its social progress. The Food Policy emphasises a coordinated national response to potential foodborne emergencies, including tracing food products and their recall in case of problems.The National Food Safety Action Plan was developed in line with Food Law No. 04/NA en-acted on 15 May 2004, which serves as a practical guide to implementing the essential e-lements and strategies for food safety control in Laos. The key elements of the Food Safety Plan are outlined in Table 2.

Table 2: Key elements of a food safety plan Sector Agency Food Safety Responsibilities NotesEnforcement Ministry of

AgricultureResponsible for primary production: formulate guidance related to SPS measures and develop decrees and regulations on agriculture practice, pesticide and livestock management

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Sector Agency Food Safety Responsibilities NotesMinistry of Industry and Commerce, Science and Technology Agency and Ministry of Health (Food and Drug Department-Hygiene and Prevention Department)

Responsible for processing, imports, exports, and distribution: develop necessary regulations such as food import/export, processing of food safety, bottled drinking water etc., food additives, inspection, hygiene and some codes of practice

Laboratories National Food and Drug Quality Centre

Responsible for the physical, che-mical and microbiological analysis of food samples

This is the primary laboratory issuing certificatesofanalysis for food processors and conducting quality as-sessment for the FDD.

Animal Health Centre- Laboratory of Livestock and Fishery Department (MAF)

Conduct animal parasite and disease analysis and certify meat products

Monitoring and surveillance

National Epidemiology Institute - Hygiene and Prevention Department

Conduct clinical analysis and surveil-lance for foodborne illness

Weekly re-port of food-borne illness has been col-lected by the Hygiene and Prevention Department

Table 2: Key elements of a food safety plan (continued)

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Sector Agency Food Safety Responsibilities NotesFDD-FDQC (MOH)

Study food contaminantsMonitor the high-risk foods within im-ported and locally manufactured food products

Animal Health Centre- Laboratory of Livestock and Fishery Department (MAF)

Monitoring and surveillance of food-borne and animal disease

Implementa-tion of food safety systems

MOH by coordinating with MAF and other related agencies

Promotes the implementation of GHP, GMP, GAP, and HACCP application by farmers, food premises/food fac-tories/processing plants and improve the use of botanical pesticide

National HACCP Committee and HACCP certificationbody are not in place

Food inspection and certification

FDD (MOH) DOA-DOLF (MAF)

Strengthening the control capability at borders/international checkpoints -supervise the implementation of inspection at the central and provincial level

Education and training

FDD (MOH) Train food inspectors and food handlers in food safety

DOA-DOLF (MAF)

Establish groups of agriculture producers and farms

Information sharing

FDD (MOH), DOA/DOLF (MAF), MOC

Publish and disseminate regulations related to crop production such as: seed/planting materials, fertilisers, pesticides and rearing pathogen and natural enemies for controlling pests -Disseminate Codex, ASEAN, WTO document related to food safety

Research andDevelopment

FDD-FDQCC Undertake a study of food contami-nants to provide information for risk managers

University of Agriculture-DOA (MAF)

Studyspecificcropstodevelopaformulation of botanical pesticides


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Sector Agency Food Safety Responsibilities NotesInternational participation

MOH by coordinating with MAF and other related agencies

- Effective participation in Codex - Strong network in ASEAN - participate in ASEAN Codex Task Force as ASEAN Expert group

- Training in database imported inspection

Food safety control sys-tem

Integration of multi-sectoral system Primary production: MAF Processed product, MOIH, MOC, MOH,Finished products: MOH (FDD, H&PD)

The Lao Government has developed a food safety information exchange system among various departments of the Ministry of Health and related ministries within the country. Therearecentralandprovincialteamsforrapidresponsetomanageoutbreaksmoreeffi-ciently. The teams consist of epidemiologists from the provinces and the National Centre of Laboratory and Epidemiology, public health staff from the affected district, clinicians/nurses, laboratory technicians, and so forth. In addition, there is an intranet system connecting the provinces and the central government to handle the food safety control of imported food.The Lao Government has participated in the ASEAN Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (ARASFF) since 2009, and is currently implementing a network system pilot study using a system supported by Thailand. The national RASF in Lao PDR is still undergoing development in order to integrate with an IT system and train skilled personnel to operate the system.The Lao government has been also a focal point of INFOSAN, the information source used to strengthen food safety in order to undertake action to protect public health from food microbiological and chemical contamination, food contamination by radionuclide, and food-borne disease outbreaks. A food safety emergency response plan has been developed since 2008. During a melamine-contaminated milk episode, a recall procedure was con-ducted, informing all provinces of the milk’s names and barcodes and collecting and de-stroying all contaminated items. However, a general recall plan is not yet available and needs to be developed.

Examples of food testing facilities in Lao PDR


3. ASEAN Common Food Control Requirements (ACFCR) in Lao PDR

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Harmonisation of food safety standards is key to the successful transition of ASEAN into a single-market community (ASEAN Economic Community) by 2015, fostering stronger intra-ASEAN and international trade in food and agricultural produce.

According to the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, effective national food control systems are essential to protect consumer health. They are also critical in enabling countries to as-sure the safety and quality of their food. ASEAN recognises the need to develop food con-trol systems taking into account obligations under the World Trade Organization’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreements, which have greatsignificanceininternationaltrade.Membercountrycommitmenttointernaleconomicintegration is essential to implementing the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. The issues at stake in establishing, updating, strengthening or revising food control systems where national authorities are accountable are:

• developing science-based food control strategies• establishing priorities based on risk analysis and effective risk management• maximising risk reduction by applying the principle of prevention throughout the food

chain, farm to table• establishing emergency procedures and rapid alert systems to facilitate withdrawal or

recall of products• establishing guidelines for the exchange of information in food control emergency si-

tuations and rejections of imported food• recognising that ensuring food safety requires positive interaction among all stakehold-

ers involved in food control management

ASEAN member countries, where possible and appropriate, should develop national food control systems in line with the above issues. In this perspective, the common guiding prin-ciples for establishing food control measures in the ASEAN Member Countries are:

1. Integrated farm-to-table concept: To achieve maximum consumer protection, it is essential that safety and quality measures be built in and implemented from pro-duction to consumption. This calls for a comprehensive and integrated farm-to-table approach in which everyone in the food chain performs an essential role in ensuring food safety and quality.• Producers and operators are entrusted with primary responsibility for the safety and

quality of food under their control and should be able to identify their suppliers and customers for the purpose of traceability/product tracing.

• Regulators audit performance of the food system through monitoring and surveil-lance activities and enforce legal and regulatory requirements.

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• Application of HACCP-based approach by the food industry is one of the tools for improving the safety of food.

2. Risk Analysis: As defined by the CodexAlimentarius Commission, risk analysisbased on assessment, management and communication should be the foundation of food control policy in the ASEAN countries in controlling food safety hazards at coun-try and regional level. Adoption and implementation of risk analysis within food control systems in ASEAN Member Countries is encouraged.

3. Transparency: Food control systems should be developed and implemented in a transparent manner. Stakeholders in the food chain should be allowed to make ef-fective contributions, and, where appropriate, the rationale for new food control mea-sures should be explained. This will encourage cooperation from all concerned parties andimproveefficiencyandlevelsofcompliance.Consumerconfidenceinthesafetyand quality of the food supply depends on a perception of the integrity and effective-ness of food control operations and activities.

4. Regulatory Impact Assessment: Regulatory impact assessments assist food con-trol agencies in making a reliable evaluation of the impact of regulations on producers and consumers and in formulating adjustments or revisions to achieve the most be-

neficialeffect.

Similarly, the ASEAN Common Principles and Requirements for Food Labelling and Hy-giene provide guidance on general requirements for the labelling of pre-packaged food and basic food hygiene principles in the ASEAN countries. The principles and requirements for food labelling emphasise that pre-packaged food should not be described or presented on any label or in any labelling in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive, or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any respect, particularly but not limited to the following:

• as to its nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, origin, production or processing

• by attributing to the food effects or properties which it does not possess • by suggesting that the food possesses special characteristics when in fact all similar

foodstuffs possess such characteristics

Further, food labelling of pre-packaged food should not be described or presented on any label or in any labelling by words, pictures or other symbols that refer to or are suggestive either directly or indirectly, of any other product with which such food might be confused, or in such a manner as to lead the purchaser or consumer to suppose that the food is connect-ed with such other products.

Also, the Common Requirements for Food Hygiene emphasise effective hygiene control measures that are needed in ensuring consumers’ safety as well as in preventing economic loss arising from possible foodborne hazards. These common requirements guide food o-perators and/or food producers to comply with the food hygiene provisions in food pro-duction from farm to table. Specifying the hygiene measures to be followed in primary pro-duction, from processing to consumption, the requirements address the need to develop

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workable food safety systems such as a HACCP-based approach control system in all ASEAN countries.

In Lao PDR, harmonisation of ASEAN common food control requirements is coherent with the National Food Safety Policy adopted in 2009. The Policy emphasises the science- and risk-based approach to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade practices in the coun-try. It serves as a reference for implementing the control and management of quality and safety of food throughout the food chain, including production, rearing, processing, ser-vice, industrial production, storage, purchase, transportation, import/export, distribution to thepointofconsumption,internationaltechnicalcooperationandscientificresearch.TheNational Food Safety Policy, by involving the cooperation of many sectors, promotes trans-parency and the participation of all stakeholders from farm to table in decision-making. However, the Policy needs to be implemented effectively with all sectors working together to improve food safety control in Laos.

With regard to food labelling, the enactment of the regulation on the labelling of pre-pack-agedfoodinMarch2009pavedthewayfordefiningtheprinciples,rulesandmeasuresonlabellingandthelabellingofpre-packagedfoodinLaos.Theregulationlaysdownspecificand general requirements for food labelling in order to control and monitor whether the label and food are updated and correct, in the interest of developing the country’s food business units. This regulation serves as a tool in controlling and monitoring the production, importa-tion and distribution of food in Lao PDR to comply with the required standard. The regula-tion aims to protect consumer health by providing required information, creating a binding requirement for business operators in the production, processing, packaging, import/export and distribution of food products.

However, the research noted that, in practice, the labelling of imported food products is still carried out in the country of origin. It is not known whether such products meet food safety standards and quality. This is evidenced by bakery products imported from Thailand through the Thanaleng international border checkpoint, the labelling of which is in the Thai language. The research noted that consumers in the Lao domestic market still prefer to have products labelled in a foreign language (Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese) as compared to Lao local language. Based on the information provided by food safety inspectors at bor-der checkpoint and KIIs, it is noted that in Laos there exists a misconception that products labelled in the local language are of low quality, substandard or cheap when compared with products labelled in a foreign language. Understanding this consumer behaviour, the regu-lation on labelling must be implemented in such a way as to effect a culture change, valui-mg Lao products, as well as mandating that imported products follow rules and measures based on the regulation on the labelling of pre-packaged food.

With regard to the implementation of Common Requirements for Food Hygiene in Laos, theresearchnotedthatLaosFoodLawrecognises‘hygiene’asanimportantareadefinedas the observance of standards of good practice aimed at avoiding contamination in food. Specifically,theGovernmentofLaosenactedaLaw(Decree)onHygiene,HealthPreven-

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tion and Promotion in April 2001. The law sets out the principles, regulations, and measures related to the organisation and activities of hygiene, health protection and promotion to ensure the population’s health, quality of life, and longevity as a contribution to national de-fence and development. As per the law, hygiene refers to the control of elements in the sur-rounding environment representing a threat or potential hazard to humans’ physical, moral and social health, such as personal hygiene, nutritional hygiene, and hygiene in lifestyle, clothing etc. as provided under Article 8 of the law. The law describes disease prevention as anapplicationofefficientmeasuresandprocedurestopreventtheoccurrenceofdiseasesor restrict their spread and reduce their severity and hazard.

Despite these laws, there is increased exposure to disease-causing pathogens through poor sanitation and hygiene facilities in rural areas of Laos, where at least 3 million cases of diarrhoea and other sanitation-related diseases occur annually, causing over six thousand deaths. Real impacts could be considerably higher, as in many cases there is a lack of data. Most foodstuffs produced or processed in Laos are considered unsafe for consumption or adulterated to varying degrees; cases of food poisoning are brought to light through the media.

Secondary research indicates that this problem persists at every level of the food chain, from preparation to consumption. Food manufacturers, processors, restaurants, fast food outlets, etc. are all involved in this corrupt practice of adulteration. Foods are adulterated usingvariousharmful chemicalsand toxicartificial colourson theonehand,and rottenperishables are stored, sold, and served to consumers in an unhygienic atmosphere on the other. The unhygienic and unsafe treatment of food seriously affects public health by caus-ing numerous chronic and non-chronic diseases. This situation clearly indicates persistent regulatory failures in Laos.

4. Overview of the current status of food safety control measures

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4.1 Principal food safety law

National Food Safety Policy enacted on 3 February 2009Food safety policy in Laos provides a basis for establishing national food safety objectives and requirements and guidance for application to specific sectors of the country’s foodcontinuum (growth cultivation, rearing, processing, service, industrial production, storage, purchase, transportation, import/export, distribution to the point of consumption and interna-tionaltechnicalcooperationandscientificresearch).Itservesasareferenceforimplement-ing the control and management of food quality and safety in Laos. The policy establishes the need for an integrated approach to address food safety in coherence with other aspects of government policy in a new period of socio-economic development in Laos. The policy emphasises a science and risk-based approach to protecting consumer health and ensur-ing fair trade practices in Laos. It also aims to promote transparency and the participation of all stakeholders from farm to table in decision-making.The policy involves the cooperation of the following agencies:

• Ministry of Health• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry • Ministry of Industry and Commerce• Ministry of Finance• Ministry of Information and Culture• Ministry of Education• Ministry of Social Security• Ministry of Science and Technology• Ministry of Water and Environment Resource Agency • Concerned central and local sectors related to the food chain, in order to protect the

safety and health of consumers•

Thepolicyhighlightstheimportanceofanefficientandeffectivefoodsafetyprogramme,as well as the sustainable development of the food sector in Laos, to protect the health of consumers from foodborne illness, prevent fraud and use science and technology, focusing on agricultural production by addressing the control of potential hazards and contamination.

4.2 Food safety related laws

Law on Food enacted on 15 May 2004 as amended in June 2013TheLawonFoodpromulgatedin2004definesprinciples,rules,methodsandmeasuresfor the administration and inspection of activities relating to food, with the aim of controlling

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the quality and standards, in particular the safety, of food; ensuring consumers’ nutrition and health, promoting production and business relating to food and guiding citizens to be aware, to understand and to adapt to the consumption of food that is safe, hygienic, and that contains nutrients for physical strength, etc. However, the law did not incorporate health and safety inspection of vendors in schools, hospitals, street stalls, hotels, restaurants or cater-ing services. Taking note of these necessary inclusions, the National Assembly proposed amendments to the law, replacing the Law on Food dated 15 May 2004. This amendment is necessary to improve industry standards in line with the current conditions of the nation. It is felt necessary for the country’s integration with regional and international communities, es-pecially the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community and Laos’s membership in the World Trade Organisation. The proposed implementation of the new law will be in late 2013.

Fisheries Law enacted on 9 July 2009TheFisheriesLawspecifiesprinciples,regulationsandmeasuresgoverningtheorganisa-tion,implementation,managementandinspectionoftheworkoffisheries,thepromotionofaquaculture, conservation, protection, development and sustainable exploitation of aquatic fauna,aimingtoensuretheprovisionoffishandotheraquaticfaunaasafoodsourceforall Lao people and the protection of the environment, contributing to the economic develop-ment of the nation.

Law on Plant Protection enacted on 09 December 2008ThePlantProtectionLawdefinesrules,regulationsandmeasuresrelatedtotheorganisa-tion, management and inspection of plant protection in order to prevent pests from spread-ing within, into and out of the country. Its objectives are to:

• protect human, animal and plant health and a safe environment• ensure plants and plant products are grown in quantities and at a quality corresponding

to domestic demand• contribute to the development of Lao employment• promote the development of foreign economic relations and trade• participate in and contribute to sustainable social and economic development

Law on Livestock and Veterinary Matters enacted on 25 July 2008Thislawdefinestheprinciples,rulesandregulationsrelatedtotheorganisation,manage-ment and inspection of livestock production and veterinary activities in order to support, promote and develop the nation’s potential in animal production and related livestock re-sources. Its objectives are to:

• help guarantee food security and ensure standards to safeguard consumers• create the conditions necessary for growth and development of the animal product

processing industry• participate in and contribute to strong social and economic development (i.e. national

development)• help to create a better quality of life for the people of Lao PDR and ensure sustainable

environmental protection

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Standards Law enacted on 26 December 2007The Standards Law determines principles, rules and measures regarding the establishment, activities, management and inspection of standards and technical regulations for products, goods, services, processes and the environment. The law aims to encourage, improve and ensure production, services and social, economic and environmental protection in order to protectquality,efficiency,justiceandrightsandthelegitimateinterestsandsafetyofcon-sumers in manufacturing, as a factor in managing the nation’s economy and development.

Wildlife and Aquatic Law enacted on 24 December 2007The Wildlife and Aquatic Law determines principles, regulations and measures on wildlife and aquatic life in nature to promote the sustainable regeneration and utilisation of wildlife and aquatic life, without any harmful impact on natural resources or habitats, and to restrict anthropogenic pressure on decreasing species and the extinction of wildlife and aquatic life byencouragingpeopleasawholetounderstandandrecognisethesignificanceofenhanc-ing the conscientious love, care and treatment of animals. It also undertakes to engage in managing, monitoring, conserving, protecting, developing and utilising wildlife and aquatic life sustainably, guarantee the abundance and richness of natural ecosystems and contri-bute to improving the livelihoods of a multi-ethnic people who have the potential to develop and achieve national socio-economic goals.

Law on Hygiene, Disease Prevention, and Health Promotion enacted on 25 April 2001The Law on Hygiene, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion determines the principles, regulations and measures relating to the organisation of activities on hygiene, disease pre-vention and health promotion to maintain the good health, quality of life and longevity of the people,thuscontributingtonationalpreservationanddevelopment.Article13brieflylooksat Hygiene of Food and Consumer Goods.

Law on Agriculture enacted on 10 October 1998The Law on Agriculture has the function of determining principles, rules and measures re-garding the organisation and activities of agricultural production, which is the basis of the country’s economy, including management and preservation of agricultural activities and production.

Other legislationBelow are some of the regulations established by the government of Laos to ensure food safety control in the country:

• Decree on the Control of the Movement of Animal & Animal Products - 04/06/2012• Decree on Implementing the Law on Plant Protection - 31/05/2012• Decision on the Procedure for Rice Imports and Exports in Lao PDR - 01/03/2012• Decision on Food Inspection - 24/02/2012• Ministerial Decision on the Basic Principles for the Application of Sanitary and Phy-

tosanitary Measures in Plant and Animal Product Administration - 11/01/2012• Declaration on the Use of Customs Declaration Form for Imported Goods Subject to

Duties & Taxes - 26/09/2011

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• Decree on Imports and Exports of Goods - 06/04/2011• Good Agriculture Practices for Worker Health, Safety and Welfare Standard - 09/02/2011• Good Agriculture Practices for Food Safety Standard - 27/01/2011• GuidelinesonthePrinciples&MethodsfortheIssuanceofPhytosanitaryCertificate-

30/09/2010• Regulation of the Control of Pesticides - 11/06/2010• Ministerial Regulation on the Basic Principles in the Application of Sanitary & Technical

Measures for Food Safety Management - 18/03/2009• Basic Principles in the Application of Sanitary & Technical Measures for Food Safety

Management - 18/03/2009• Regulation on the Use of a Standard Mark for Lao Product & Goods - 07/08/2006• Regulation on the Control on Production, Exported-Imported Safe Food - 12/05/2006• Regulation on the Registration of Product & Goods - 11/06/2002

4.3 Standards and standard development in Lao PDR

The principles, rules and measures regarding the establishment, activities, management and inspection of standards and technical regulations for products, goods, services, pro-cesses and the environment are governed in accordance with the Standards Law enacted in December 2007. The Science Technology and Environment Agency (STEA), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is the agency responsible for standard development in Laos. The agency is primarily involved with standard-setting in the area of food safety (including chairing the National Codex Committee) and accreditation. In addition, the agen-cy was recently designated by the government as the Enquiry Point for both SPS and TBT matters. The main tasks of an Enquiry Point are to respond to enquiries, maintain reference databasesonSPSandTBTmeasures,presenttotheNotificationPoint,draftSPSandTBTmeasures to be submitted to WTO, and cooperate with other countries’ Enquiry Points. The STEA Department of Intellectual Property, Standardisation and Metrology (DISM) is responsible for standardisation, metrology, testing and quality activities, which include the formulation of national standards and maintenance of national metrology standards.

Under DISM, the Division of Standards and Quality carries out standardisation and related activities, while the Division of Metrology conducts industrial and legal metrology activities. TheDISM reliesonfivenational technicalworkinggroupsunder itsStandardsCommit-tee to develop legislation and standards development. These working groups have helped develop 16 Lao PDR standards that include a standard for green coffee. Based on the information from KIIs, 12 priority products are next in line for new standards, with the draft standards for rice, ground coffee and bottled drinking water. On food safety, it was observed that Lao PDR has adopted 60 Codex standards.

Process of standard-setting in Lao PDR: Between 2004 and 2007 the National Com-mittee for the Management of Standards and Quality (NCMSQ) established six Technical Working Groups, one of which is the Food and Agriculture Product Working Group (FAP-WG), responsible for setting standards for food.

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The standards development procedure has three stages as demonstrated below:1. Preparation: Based on needs of industries and stakeholders, project proposals are

made and considered by the Division of Standards and Quality.2. Drafting: A working draft is prepared and public comments are obtained and considered by the national committee. In the drafting process Technical Committees, Na-

tional Standards Committees and the Division of Standard and Quality are the parties concerned.

3. Approval: The Department of Intellectual Property, Standards and Metrology submits the draft to STEA – now upgraded to the Ministry of Science and Technology – for ap-proval. Following approval, the standards are published by the Division of Standards and Quality in the Department of Intellectual Property, Standards and Metrology.

Some of the standards that were adopted by Laos which are relevant to this research are:• Good Agriculture Practices for Produce Quality Management Standard, adopted 9 Fe-

bruary 2011• Organic Agriculture Standards, adopted 30 December 2005• Iodised Salt Standard, adopted 21 January 2004

4.4 Food testing and inspection laboratories

Based on the primary and secondary research, it is noted that the Food and Drug Depart-ment and the Food and Drug Quality Control Centre (FDQCC), under the Ministry of Health, are responsible for food analysis and quality assurance of imported and locally produced/manufactured food in Laos. The food safety section of the FDQCC laboratory is the weakest in equipment and training. There is a lack of experienced staff to conduct tests in certain fields.Thelaboratorieshavelimitedcapacitytoundertaketestingrelatedtophysical,chem-ical and microbiological analysis. The Thai Government provides basic laboratory training for two persons per year. In many areas, the laboratory has no standards, and equipment has not been calibrated since it was bought.

The National Animal Health Laboratory (NHAL), under the Ministry of Health, is another laboratory that tests, monitors and performs surveillance work for animal diseases in Laos. NHAL employs a mixture of active and passive surveillance.

The Laboratory performs quality testing on livestock products and animal diseases (H5N1, H1N1,Newcastle,FMD,zoonotic-avianinfluenza,wildlife,rodents,bats,etc.).Ittestsim-ported live animals for breeding (chicks and piglets) and consumption including eggs. NAHL has laboratory techniques and equipment that supports the testing of PCR, ELISA, gel elec-trophoresis and rapid test kits. Under the NAHL, there are seven testing units: Parasitology, Bacteriology, Virology, Pathology, Livestock Products, Quality Control and Biosafety. Bian-nually,thestaffconductsfieldsurveys,oneinthedryseasonandoneinthewetseason.Thesefieldvisitsarealsousedtotrainfieldstaff.However,theNAHLhasnotbeenabletoputsurveillanceresultsinadatabaseorhealthmapperbecauseofthelackofqualificationamong staff.

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The provincial-level veterinary service has no active surveillance either. It primarily reacts to reported cases of animal disease and death. A reporting system for disease information was established from grassroots to central level with the help of trained village veterinary workerswhocangatherinformation(LaoPDR,2004b).However,itisstilldifficulttogetac-curatedataondiseases.DuringthefieldtriptoLaos,CI’steamvisitedFDQCCandNHAL.Aformalinteractionwasmadewiththeofficialsofthelabs.

The National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, under the Department of Disease Control, in the Ministry of Health conducts clinical analysis and surveillance for foodborne illnesses. The research noted that the Institute has testing equipment for con-ducting microbiological analyses of food and water, causes of diarrhoeal diseases in chil-drenandmonitoringofafflationcontamination.TheInstitutealsoprovidescertificationforexports of coffee and spices. In addition, the Food and Drug Analysis Centre of Vientiane Municipality also performs food analysis, especially basic microbiological analysis.

Overall, these laboratories, which are located in Vientiane, are responsible for the analysis of food samples collected by food inspectors, either through the import trade or from the domestic market. The laboratory of the Livestock and Fishery Department performs tests foranimalparasitesanddiseases,andcertifiesthesafetyofmeatproducts.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry lacks the capacity to test for pesticide residues and mycotoxins. The Government has expressed concern over its inadequate capacity to test and monitor the chemical contamination of food products (pesticide residues and illegal foodcolourings),whichisasignificantconcern.

Based on the secondary research, it is noted that available laboratory facilities for manag-ingfoodsafetyandagriculturalhealthareweakandpartlydeficient.Thepresentfacilitiesare under-utilised; the government is unable to allocate the required operational budget for acquiring reagents, chemicals, spare parts and calibration. Human resources are weak for theidentification,diagnosisandtestingoffoodandwaterbornehumanhealthhazardsandfood contaminations, plant pests and diseases and animal diseases. The available staff are few and general levels of education and training are low. Moreover, the laboratories have passive work programmes. They carry out whatever comes up through routine inspections and emergencies, given the capacity and operational budgets available and the fees that can be charged for tests.

To illustrate further, most of the personnel of the Food and Drug Department and the FD-QCC are pharmacists with limited training and skills in food control activities and food analy-sis. Food scientists and researchers with the skills to monitor food contaminants and patho-gens are inadequate in Laos. Food producers, processors and handlers lack knowledge of food safety, and as a result lack the capacity to implement quality control and assurance programmes.

As technology and new agricultural practices are involved in food production, there is a high

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prevalence of pesticide residues in agricultural and commercial crops, challenging food safety and quality.

4.5 Monitoring, market surveillance and investigation systems

In Laos, the research noted that there are no active surveillance programmes and no com-prehensive databases on the prevalence of (a) food and waterborne human health haz-ards and food contaminations, (b) plant pests and diseases, (c) animal diseases and (d) the quality and safety of agricultural inputs. Data collected through inspection and passive surveillance is insufficientlyanalysedandused for thedesignofpoliciesand inspectionprograms.

The Department of Agriculture aims to establish a database and diagnosis system of pest and disease outbreak. There is no active surveillance. From June to October 2002, a pest inventory survey on major crops (rice, maize, vegetables, coffee and certain fruit trees) was conducted. A pesticide inventory survey covering ten provinces was done in September 2002. Evenwhen quarantine pests of national significance are introduced and becomeeconomically important, e.g. the coffee berry borer, budget resources do not permit active surveillance programmes to determine the rate of spread or economic impact. Major assis-tance by New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID) allowed for the installation of a National Phytosanitary Database, a management information system with the capability for computerisation of pest records. However, resources are needed to en-able plant health authorities to utilise the system and to initiate the creation of pest records. For plant pests, the plant quarantine unit has a limited collection of insect and plant disease specimens for reference. For trade purposes, records supported by voucher specimens in collections provide a more reliable evidence of a country’s plant health status, as they can be validated.

Notwithstanding the regulation on pesticide management, the DOA Agriculture Regulatory Division lacks the capacity for effective implementation (Vander Wulp, 2006). Surveys re-veal that a number of the pesticides sold were not registered. There is also an inconsistency between the listed trade names of pesticides from 2004 to 2006 and the list of authorised active ingredients. Finally, there is limited technical capacity for pesticide quality control.

To date, the use of agrochemicals in Lao PDR has been limited. However, with further diver-sificationofagriculture,useofpesticides,veterinarydrugsandhormoneswillincrease.Gi-ven the widespread use of illegal pesticides in neighbouring countries and the risk of illegal imports, the regulation, monitoring, promotion of good agricultural practice and enforcement of regulations will become important elements in promoting food safety and human health at home, and in preventing restrictions of exports in foreign markets.

ReportingproblemsprobablyderivefromdifficultiesingettingregularreportsfromvillageveterinaryworkerstotheDistrictLivestockandFisheriesOfficerstotheProvincialLivestockandFisheriesOfficerstotheNationalAnimalHealthLab(NHAL).Oneoftherootproblems

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is the underreporting of livestock diseases by farmers, who seek to avoid having animals destroyed or having to sell their animals before their symptoms prevent sale. A report from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) noted the current lack of incentives to report animal disease (Hoffmann, 2005). The farmer or trader who reports will ultimately bear the cost of resulting sanctions.

WhiletheNAHLprovidesmonthlynotificationstoOIEforListAandBdiseases,thereisno listofprioritydiseases. Importantdiseases thataremonitored includeavianflu, footand mouth disease, classic swine fever, haemorrhagic septicaemia, anthrax, rabies, poul-try infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease. It should be noted that the Lao PDR has been one of the better reporting countries on both Lists A and B diseases in the region. The NAHCreportsmonthlytotheOIE,butprovincialofficialsaggregatemanualreportsfromdistricts on 3-, 6- and 12-month cycles. While an epiinfo-based animal information system called Lao Base was designed and tested in Lao PDR with support from Australia’s Agency for International Development (AUSAID) in the late 1990s, it is not clear whether this system is still operating or not.

An animal registration project was started involving the ear tagging of cattle together with vaccinationandcertification.Outofanestimated1.2millionheadofcattle,only60,000to70,000 animals had been vaccinated and tagged, at a cost of LAK 6,000 (US$ 0.58) per head. The project seemed costly and ineffective; it is, however, ongoing but proceeding slowly. Tagging and vaccination are mandatory, but the Government is not pushing for im-mediate compliance.

Certain active surveillance programmes have proceeded with donor assistance; regional and bilateral support for foot and mouth disease, bilateral support for classic swine fever andmultipledonorsupport foravianflu.TheAvianInfluenzaUnitof theAnimalDiseaseControl Centre receives donor-supported virology technical assistance missions to actively sample poultry in different areas of the country.

For food safety, although there is no clear overall programme for foodborne diseases, there are certain indicators for food safety management system evaluation. There indicators in-clude:

• Testing 600 samples per year comprising all food products is one of the indicators that the Ministry of Health has adopted at the national level to ensure food safety.

• Food Safety Industry should be approved by 2015.

• According to the Food Safety Law, all street food vendors should undergo vac-cination twice a year.

A test kit used in Lao PDR for detecting formalin in food products

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Present monitoring and surveillance activities in the country are concentrated only at entry points in consumer markets. Information from WHO noted that while it may be possible to assess the incidence of foodborne disease on the clinical side, this is not so on the chemical side (e.g. pesticides and heavy metals) without investment in facilities that would require an operational budget and a programme for testing. The Ministry of Health is focusing on 18 diseases, of which a few are related to foodborne diseases: diarrhoea and salmonellosis, among others. There are also blind spots within the data collected; in the case of enteric diseases, all causes of dysentery or severe diarrhoea are grouped. Determination of the causes,bacterial,viral,protozoanorparasitic,wouldbedifficulttomaintainonanationalscale.Fundamentally,theweaknessofreportingreflectsaweaknessinrecurrentfundingthat constrains the development of public capacity in food safety and many other areas in the Lao PDR economy.

4.6 Risk management

In recent years, new foodborne pathogens have emerged and some have spread world-wide. Many pathogens are being spread to and by an increasing variety of foods. Health statistics indicate that foodborne disease is the major cause of morbidity in Laos. Diarrhoea diseases, frequently associated with foodborne agents, are one of the leading causes of mortality,particularlyamongchildren,representingasignificantandcontinuingthreattothehealth and welfare of the Lao population.

Based on the research, it is noted that for food importation, the documents required are: CertificateofAnalysis(COA),HealthCertificate(HC),GoodManufacturingPractices(GMP)and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), issued by the competent autho-rity of the exporting country or by a private party accredited or endorsed by the competent authority. Testing samples are also required. HACCP, GMP and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)certificatesareissuedbythecompetentfoodsafetyauthorityofthecountryoforigin.Certificationmaytaketheformofaletter,certificateoranyotherdocumentattestingthattheGMP, GHP and HACCP requirements have been met. In most cases, the manufacturer’s analytical data is accepted due to the limited capacity to test and analyse food.

Forfoodexportation,theMinistryofHealthissuesHACCPcertificates.TherequirementforcharacteristicsattestationsandhealthcertificatesisappliedincompliancewiththerelevantCodex standards, guidelines and recommendations, as well as the SPS Agreement. The re-quirements are science-based, transparent and non-discriminatory. The agencies respon-sibleforissuingcertificatesforfoodanalysisandqualityassurancearetheFoodandDrugDepartment and FDQCC, under the Ministry of Health. Similarly, issues relating to sanitary andphytosanitarymeasuresforagriculturalandanimalproducearecertifiedbytheAgri-culture Department and Livestock and Fisheries Department in the Ministry of Agriculture.

For domestically-produced products, national standards based on Codex standards, guide-lines and recommendations must be respected. Domestic producers are required to prove compliance every 180 days through testing analysis. However, the research noted that due

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tolimitedhumanandfinancialresources,foodinspectionsarenormallyconductedincasesof safety alerts or requests by consumers or other sources.

Apart from Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations, food inspection under risk management in Laos is implemented in accordance with Decision No. 297/MOH, ‘On Food Inspection’,whichdefinestheproceduresforfoodinspectionforimportedgoodsanddo-mestic production. Under the risk assessment system all food products are categorised ac-cordingtotheirrisklevels.Inspectionisdefinedbythreefoodriskcategories:high,mediumand low risk. High-risk foods are subject to more frequent inspections. Consignments ac-companiedbycertificatesofhealthissuedbythecompetentauthoritiesofexportingcoun-tries and test reports from accredited laboratories in exporting countries are subject to a lower frequency of inspections.

Overall, the risk management function for food safety in Laos is in accordance with the ‘reasonable risk assessment framework’ in Regulation No. 518/MOH, referring to the con-ventionalriskassessmentstepsofhazardidentificationandcharacterisation,exposureas-sessment and risk characterisation. Lao PDR is one of the countries participating in the rapid alert system within ASEAN, the INFOSAN network of the WHO and the SPS and TBT NotificationUnitincludingtheSPSEnquiryPoint.

4.7 Status of SPS, Codex standards and related Issues

Four different ministries are involved in Laos’s SPS management. With FDD as one of the KIIs,theresearchidentifiedactorsinSPSManagementastheDepartmentofAgriculture(Plant Health) and the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (animal health) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF); the Department of Food and Drugs under the Ministry of Health (MOH); the Foreign Trade Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) and the Science, Technology and Environment Agency (STEA).

Overall,LaoPDRlacksafunctioningSPSmanagementsystem.Ithasinsufficientabilityto assess the situation on plant pests, animal diseases and food hazards and to provide basic data on these hazards for trading partners. It has very little ability to control agricultur-al-chemicals and imported genetic material. The components of the SPS management sys-tem – regulatory and institutional frameworks, standards, diagnostic capacity, surveillance andinspectionandquarantine–arestilltobedevelopedandarenotsufficientlylinked.Thisisathreattosustainablegrowthofexportsandimports.Whilesignificantpotentialexiststo promote production of high-value horticultural products and export-oriented agriculture, this is seriously constrained by a general lack of awareness among producers, government and the private sector about good agricultural practices (GAPs), good hygiene practices (GHPs), good manufacturing practices (GMPs), quality assurance schemes (e.g. HACCP) and the inadequate capacity to implement such schemes.

Laos became a Member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1995. Subsequently, the National Codex Committee (NCC) was established in 1998. The NCC is chaired by the

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Minister of Health (MOH), the Vice Chair is the Minister of Science and Technology (Director General of NSB), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Ministry of Industry and Commerce are members. The Secretariat and NCCP is the Food and Drug Department, under the Ministry of Health. The committee meets yearly, as well as corresponding elec-tronically.

4.8 Accreditation

Whileconductingresearchduringthefieldtrip,CI’steamwasnotabletogetanappoint-ment with personnel from the National Accreditation Bureau. However, based on secondary information, it is noted that Laos complied with ASEAN mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) in implementing conformity assessment of different products. The MoST, being the responsible agency, established the Lao National Accreditation Bureau (LNAB), in accor-dance with Chapter II (Principles for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of National and Local Standards), Article 14 (Lao PDR National Accreditation Bureau) and Article 15 (Rights and Duties of the National Accreditation Bureau) of Decree No. 234/GoL ‘On the Implementation of the Law on Standardisation’.

A long-term goal for Lao PDR is to participate in the MRAs of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Within the Department of Standardisation and Metrology, LNAB will provide formal recognition of tech-nicalcompetenceoftestingandcalibrationlaboratories,qualitymanagementcertificationbodies,inspectionbodiesandproducersandprovidersofproficiencytestinginaccordancewith international accreditation standards and procedures. The main goal of LNAB is to pro-vide reliable and credible voluntary accreditation services which meet industry needs and are in compliance with international standards and guides. The LNAB will:

• function as a national body for accreditation• provideaccreditationservicesforaccreditationoflaboratories,certificationbodiesand

inspection bodies in compliance with international standards and best practices• undertakesurveillanceofaccreditedlaboratories,inspectionandcertificationbodies,in

accordance with international standards and practices• organise and coordinate laboratory inter-comparison activities within Laos• maintaina formal registerof accredited laboratories, certificationbodies, the results

of measurement inter-comparisons, the results of conformity assessment, inspection bodies, producers and providers of reference materials

• support achievement of the international recognition of testing protocols issued by ac-credited conformity assessment bodies

• participate in the activities of regional and international accreditation organisations

One of the primary long-term objectives of LNAB is to achieve mutual recognition of accred-itationandcertificationresults,thusfacilitatingaccesstointernationalmarketsbypromotingcross-borderstakeholderconfidenceandacceptanceofaccreditedtestdataandcertifiedresults.

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4.9 Human capacity

Almost all of the government agencies that were part of this research indicated that they do not have adequate skilled human resources to work on areas related to food safety control in Laos. The staff need more training to handle food safety issues at the national level. For example,althoughFoodSafetyInspectorsatbordercheckpointsarequalifiedstaff, theylack skills in carrying out food inspection. Similarly, as mentioned in the section on ‘Food Testing and Inspection Laboratories’, personnel of the Food and Drug Department and the FDQCC are pharmacists with limited training and skills in food control activities and food analysis. There are few food scientists and researchers with the skills to monitor food con-taminants and pathogens. To address this area, it is recommended that a human resource developmentplanbedevelopedforeachofthespecificareasrelatingtofoodsafetycontrolin the country.

4.10 Education and training programmes

The project noted that most of the programmatic measures in Laos are donor-funded. Some ongoing and past initiatives include:

• Healthy Food Markets: an initiative by WHO in seven provinces in Laos to improve the health of urban dwellers, particularly those with low incomes; 2006

• Provincial City Development Programme: Green City Programme for clean/healthier cities in three provinces with sustainable production of agricultural products

• Promotion of organic markets: with an emphasis on GMP practices, and the environ-mental control of crop and animal products

• National surveillance and response systems: e.g. indicator-based H1N1 awareness programmes

• Awareness raising on animal diseases like swine fever and foot and mouth disease by FAO through publishing pamphlets, booklets and radio/TV programmes

• Organic agriculture project with IFOAM involving 800 families (1000 hectares) using Lao Standards

• The GAP Lao Project: started in 2012, with activities yet to be initiated

Ingeneral,itisdifficulttoreachallcategoriesofconsumersinLaos,astheliteracylevelinrural areas is low. The Department of Agriculture has programmes to raise farmer aware-ness of good agricultural practices. However, there is no funding for implementation. Efforts to promote human hygiene and disease control encounter substantial challenges in Lao culture, with success measured in small increments over time. Clinics and hospitals are generally alert, but it is not clear that in a rural district an outbreak in poultry or in humans would be rapidly detected and reported at national level.

As indicated in the World Bank’s report on ‘Action Plan for SPS Capacity Building’, this si-tuation is similar to that of neighbouring rural areas in Cambodia, China, Vietnam, and to a lesser extent in Thailand. Given Laos’s current food safety issues, efforts should be made to increase awareness and knowledge of food safety concerns (particularly pesticide residues

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on food) and safe food practices among food consumers and those responsible for food production, processing, handling and marketing in rural communities.

4.11 Consumer protection

The increased use of pesticides to cultivate agricultural crops is underreported in Laos, where domestic consumers are unaware of residue level hazards. Foodborne diarrhoeal diseases continue to represent a major health challenge.

Despite severe and widespread poverty in the country, the capacity of the government to protect consumers remains relatively low in comparison to the desired ASEAN baseline standard. Although the country’s economic performance has improved considerably in re-centtimes,alargenumberofLaoconsumersstillfinditdifficulttogetaccesstomostbasicutilities in their daily lives.

The government depends upon aid from international donors for over 80% of its capital investment. Recognising this, the government has increased efforts to improve consumer protection laws and practices, and these have borne some fruit. The legal regime for the protection of Lao consumers is now quite comprehensive, although implementation and enforcement still need to improve. The government agency responsible for consumer pro-tection is the Consumer Protection and Competition Division of the Department of Domestic Trade, under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. It was established only in June 2009. It will be expanded with the coming into force of the new Consumer Protection Law, 2010. An important step taken by the new Division has been to establish an inter-ministerial com-mittee of the other responsible agencies outside the Ministry of Industry and Commerce: particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Health and the National Authority for Science and Technology.

An action plan has been established for the joint development of a consumer protection re-gime for Lao PDR under the terms of its new Consumer Protection Law. The Division is also responsible for handling consumer complaints and overseeing the food safety management activities of commercial services in the provinces, the municipality and the special economic zone. Businesses that violate price control regulations, including those involved in price

A weekly organic market in Vientione, promoting Lao Organic certification scheme

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hiking, hoarding, causing turbulence and the production of counterfeit goods, will have their business operation licences revoked, and be prosecuted according to the law.

Another agency that has authority in relation to general consumer protection is the Depart-ment of Intellectual Property, Standardisation, and Metrology of the National Authority for Science and Technology, which is responsible for surveying the accuracy of devices used for weighing and measuring as part of its general mandate.

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The project noted that FAO has been providing technical assistance with capacity building related to food quality and safety measures in Laos. Technical assistance provided so far includes assessments of the existing national food control programme; assistance in es-tablishing food legislation, food inspection and quality assurance training; training on good manufacturing practices and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system; theassessmentofthefoodimportandexportinspectionandcertificationsystem;foodana-lysis; and the laboratory management and quality assurance system. Similarly, WHO has provided technical assistance in organising food safety courses, in-cluding workshops for Food Safety Inspectors and producers. In addition, WHO assisted FDD in strengthening capacity to participate in a multi-sectoral approach to food safety and food law development, to prepare food hygiene regulations, recall regulations, and codes of practice, to enable participation in Codex process and to develop and disseminate food safety guidance documents for industry sectors.The Food and Drug Administration Commission has regularly led the way in communicat-ing food safety regulations to stakeholders and the exchange of information and opinions concerning risk. However, the participation of concerned agencies such as food producers is still limited. Additionally, consumers generally do not appreciate the health implications of foodsafetyandpersonalhygieneduetoinsufficientinformationconcerningtheirrightswithregard to safe food.Fromtheagenciesthatwerevisitedduringthefieldtripandfromtheinformationgatheredthrough primary and secondary data, it is noted that the following gaps affect Laos’s effec-tive implementation of food safety control measures.

• Though adequate laws and regulations on food control are in place, inadequate and in-experienced manpower to enforce them contributes to an increased incidence of food-borne diseases.

• Components of the SPS management system – institutional capability, regulations and standards, diagnostic capacity, surveillance, inspection and quarantine – are still not in place. This is particularly the case in the food safety and plant health sectors which have received relatively less donor attention. Furthermore, there are still major gaps in the capability to collect and evaluate basic data on pests, diseases and food hazards and to conduct basic risk management.

• There are few food scientists, researchers and technologists in performance surveil-lance and food contaminant monitoring to control the incidence of pathogens in the food supply and to get information and data on food contaminants and foodborne diseases.

• Guidelines on good agricultural practices, good handling practices and good manufac-turing practices have not been effectively introduced to farmers and food factories to minimise microbial and chemical hazards.

• There is a limited capacity for food quality control in existing facilities (physical, chemical

5. Capacity building gaps and needs

35

and microbiological analysis). Fresh chemicals, reagents, and the modern equipment appropriatetostandardmethodofanalysisarenotavailable.ThescientificcapacityofFDD to conduct testing of GMO foods and quantitative analysis of tests is lacking.

• Consumer awareness of food safety is very limited, contributing to poor communication and participation. There is no formal consumer complaint-lodging system.

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The project has determined that the following capacity building needs exist for the plan-ning, development, implementation and enforcement of food safety control measures in Lao PDR:

• The recruitment of personnel (qualified and certified food inspectors and laboratorytechnicians),improvingthescientificcapacityofLaosFDD(toconducttestingofGMOfoods and quantitative analysis of tests);

• the training of middle-level management and specialists in MAF, MOH, NSTA and provinces in WTO accession. This training should build on the Cambodian and Vietnam- ese experiences of accession. As part of this training, focused help should be given to make the SPS/TBT Enquiry Point operational;

• assistance to increase awareness and facilitate the implementation of the relevant in-ternational standards, GAPs, GHPs and GMPs;

• assistance with the surveillance of foodborne hazards, pests and diseases. A project is required to help with the design and implementation of surveillance and data collection on the most important pests, diseases and food hazards, and assistance with the eva-

luation and sharing of data, in particular with trading partners. A second stage in such a project would use the data to establish risk-based management s ystems for food safety, plant health and animal health risks;

• assistance with the training and development of the application of SPS Management. Training of staff and specialists is crucial for building a viable SPS system;

• assistance to improve inter-agency coordination (integrated multi-sectoral system) so that the implementation of the Food Safety Policy is carried out effectively with all the agencies involved performing an effective role;

• assistance with the development of independent consumer organisations enabling con-sumer representation in government and technical committees relating to food safety;

• assistance in strengthening effective participation in Codex and standards development and enforcement;

• assistance with the development of a strong network at the local and ASEAN level;• the introduction of an effective enforcement system coupled with updated equipment

(with a communications setup at Border Checkpoints, updated laboratories and testing kits), adequate manpower (with more personnel in the testing laboratories and surveil-lance work) and trained manpower (e.g. training in import inspection/ import standards and training in food safety testing)

Through this project, improvement in specific organisational/functional assistance is re-quired in order to strengthen the overall food safety management system as described in Table 3.

6. Recommendations for strengthening food safety control

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Table 3: Organisational functions related to food safety suggestions for improvement

Institution DescriptionFDD ImprovethescientificcapacityofLaosFDD(toconducttesting

of GMO foods and quantitative analysis of tests), for which an expert analysis should be carried out to determine whether the efficiencyoftheexisting(andplanned)testingfacilitycouldbeimproved for

- Laboratory capacity to test the toxic levels of foods - Tools and Guidelines for WHO/ CAC standards and mecha-nisms

Upgrade the agency in terms of: - human resources - number of food inspectors - trained staff, especially import inspectors- on SPS issues, Codex & Food

- standards National Animal Health Labora-tory

- upgradecapacityandqualificationsofstaff - upgrade equipment to test or work with residues in meat products

- inspection training - hygiene training

Information and Education

Initiate educational campaigns promoting hygienic agricultural practices to government staff, farmers, food handlers and con-sumers on how to avoid risks

Consumer Protection and Competition Division under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce

- Establish procedures to monitor the market place for unsafe food products

- Establish procedures whereby consumers can notify the au-thorities of alleged unsafe food in the market

- Establish procedures for community and consumer education on food safety

- Facilitate the establishment of complaint-handling systems Border Controls - Review Lao PDR inspection and permit requirements for ex-

ports and imports, and identify controls that are unnecessary for SPS management in a market economy

- Develop and communicate guidelines for the proper imple-mentationofinspectionandcertificationproceduresandprovide training and equipment for border inspectors

- Review SPS-related border procedures and recommend simplificationandstrengthenedgovernance.Thesimplifica-tion process should consider integrating certain SPS control functions in customs procedures; and combining SPS border controlsinoneoffice,orpossiblyevenintegratedintheCus-tomsoffice

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Institution Description - Review existing legal framework and amend to incorporate recommendations to improve and strengthen governance on border procedures; and authority for agricultural health in-spectors to search or seize ‘risk’ goods

- Assesspossibilitiestodeveloplocalcertificationcapabilities,especiallyfororganiccertification

Enforcement - Assistance in training existing staff to implement and enforce food safety laws and regulations in the relevant areas where knowledge and experience are lacking, particularly in enhanc-ing capacity for the Codex contact point to improve the Codex work and having more inputs to the new work of Codex

Table 3: Organisational functions related to food safety suggestions for improvement (continued)

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With ASEAN countries marching towards forming an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015, Lao PDR must, among other issues, improve the enforcement of existing laws and regulations relating to food safety control in the country. The food safety system must ultimately be able to prevent exposure to unacceptable levels of foodborne hazards along theentirefoodchain.Scientificobjectivityandbalanceshouldbebroughttofoodsafetyini-tiatives.Pro-consumerapproachesmustbeadoptedtobuildconsumerconfidence.Theseinitiatives must be in place to advocate and assist in the development of a risk-based, sus-tainable and integrated food safety control system. Lao PDR must accelerate implemen-tation of the Food Safety Policy, which is an integrated approach to food safety control en-abling different government departments to effectively and promptly assess, communicate and manage foodborne risks/crises while ensuring import and domestic controls. Concerted efforts are required from all stakeholders.

7. Conclusion

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AppendicesAppendix 1: Research framework and methodologyResearch methodologyIn order to ensure uniform analysis of aspects relating to food safety control measures, the research adopted standardised and identical terms in the design and execution of the research in each country. These terms are generally aligned with the Codex guidelines and include:

• Control measure: any action and activity that can be used to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.

• Food safety control system: the combination of control measures that, when taken as a whole, ensures that food is safe for its intended use.

• Monitoring: the act of conducting a planned sequence of observations or measure-ments of control parameters to assess whether a control measure is under control.

The above measures are considered to be the main components of the research.

Selection of stakeholdersAs food safety and food control measures in each country are carried out by different agen-cies and authorities, the identification and selection of relevant stakeholders (to be keyinformants)andthecoordinationoffieldvisitsandtheround-tablediscussion(RTD)wascarried out with the assistance of country partners, namely local civil society organisations from each country. The selected stakeholders represent the various groupings having func-tions, roles and areas of involvement along the food safety (measures) value chain. The main groupings of stakeholders are:

• policymakers and implementers: government agencies and authorities (including publichealth,foodsafety,agriculture,fisheries,livestock,standards,accreditationbodies, etc.);

• facilities: food testing laboratories, import checkpoints and food processing, han-dling and marketing;

• food safety interest groups: consumer organisations, NGOs, FAO, WHO, etc.• the private sector: producers, importers and exporters;• human resources: food safety inspectors, laboratory technicians and food safety

experts.

For the national-level research in Lao PDR, the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment Development Association (SAEDA) supported CI in the implementation of the research in Laos as the local partner.

Data gatheringThis research used a qualitative approach to data gathering and analysis that was ultimate-ly used for inventory and documentation purposes. To this end, survey questionnaires were developed to assist in gathering data and the implementation of research, which ran as follows:

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Secondary data gather-ing

The desk research involved a study of relevant documents and publica-tions and a literature search of available documents and reports relat-ing to food safety and food control measures. Secondary data was also gathered by the local partner using the Focal Point Questionnaire, which mainly focuses on three key components of the food control system: food legislation; food control management; and information, education and communication. This includes gathering data relating to acts and laws, rules and regulations, codes of conduct and government policies etc.

Primary data gathering

Data is collected throughkey informant interviews (KII), field visitsandround-table discussions (RTD).This approach involves specific sets ofquestionsdesignedforspecifickeyinformants,sitesvisitedororganisa-tions met in relation to food safety control measures. The key informants are persons in senior positions involved in policymaking or enforcement (from different departments) or individuals who are involved in monitor-ing, awareness raising and/or policy advocacy. These individuals were identified in consultation with in-country partner organisations. For KII,open-ended questions were used to probe for more detail on the informa-tion already gathered in the secondary research. This included, for exam-ple,probingintospecificdetails,factsandfiguresrelatedtofoodsafetyrelevant to the responsibilities and engagement of the key informants.

Validation 1 A half-day RTD with participants from selected stakeholder organisations was delivered. The main aim of the RTD event was to share and validate thekeyfindingsoftheFocalPointQuestionnaire,keyinformantinterviewsand site visit observations in order to strengthen the validity, accuracy and reliability of data and information collected. The participants included mid-level or junior-level representatives from the same organisations or agencies the team had met with during their country visit.

Data analysis and reporting

Usingthedatacollectedintheabovethreestages,cross-verificationwassubsequently used as the principal analysis method for this study and country report, involving:• standardised data entry templates, created for data reporting• a standardised PowerPoint template, created for the RTD• a standardised RTD format and procedures

Secondary data gather-ing

• The desk research involved a study of relevant documents and publica-tions and a literature search of available documents and reports related to food safety and food control measures.

• Secondary data was also gathered by the local partner using the Focal Point Questionnaire, which mainly focuses on three key components of the food control system: food legislation; food control management; and information, education and communication. This includes gathering data relating to acts and laws, rules and regulations, codes of conduct and government policies etc.

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Primary data gathering

•Dataiscollectedthroughkeyinformantinterviews(KII),fieldvisitsandroundtablediscussions(RTD).Thisapproachinvolvesspecificsetsofquestionsdesignedforspecifickeyinformants,sitesvisitedororganisa-tions met in relation to food safety control measures.

• The key informants are persons in senior positions involved in policy-making or enforcement (from different departments) or individuals who are involved in monitoring, awareness-raising and/or policy advocacy. Theseindividualswereidentifiedinconsultationwithin-countrypartnerorganisations.

• The KIIs involved open-ended questions to probe for more detail on the information already gathered in the secondary research. This included, for example, probing into specificdetails, facts and figures related tofood safety relevant to the responsibilities and functions of the key infor-mants.

Validation 2 • A half-day RTD with participants from selected stakeholder organisa-tions was delivered. The main aim of the RTD event was to share and validatethekeyfindingsoftheFocalPointQuestionnaire,keyinformantinterviews and site visit observations in order to strengthen the validity, accuracy and reliability of the data and information collected.

Data analysis and reporting

•Cross-verificationofthedatacollectedintheabovethreestagesusing:o standardised data entry templates, created for data reportingo a standardised PowerPoint template, created for the RTDo a standardised RTD format and procedures

Sample size and profile of stakeholdersDuetothelimitationsoftimeandbudget,11KeyInformantswereinterviewedandfivesitevisits (laboratories, import/export points, public food preparation sites and markets) were conducted in Laos between 20 and 28 April 2013. The RTD was held on 24 April with ten participants,primarilygovernmentofficialsfrommiddlemanagementindifferentministries.Generally,thestakeholderswereidentifiedbasedontheirdirectandindirectinvolvementinfood safety including:

• government entities (the relevant ministries, particularly those with relevance to the sector)

• national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs), including consumer associations working on food issues

The 11 food-safety-related stakeholders in Lao PDR that participated in this study could be categorised into four main groups:

• Government agencies• NGOs• Laboratories• The private sector

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A) Government Agencies• Department of Domestic Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry • Food & Drug Department, Ministry of Health• Food Inspector (Vientiane Municipality), Thanaleng Border Check Point• Food Inspector (FDD), Thanaleng Border Check Point• ProvincialAgricultureandForestryOffice

B) UN and NGOs• WHO – Laos• SAEDA – NGO

C) Laboratories• Food and Drug Quality Control Centre (MOH)• Animal Health Laboratory

D) Private Sector• importer (Lao Kasikam Kankaset)• exporter (Lao Farmer Products)

LimitationsThough SAEDA acted as the local partner for CI’s research, the absence of a consumer or-ganisation severely limited data gathering relating to consumer perspectives on food safety issues.

Furthermore, the availability of detailed materials primarily depended on the available re-sources and publications or reports available through Internet searches, which were limited by the lack of availability of English versions. The data were also mainly based on second-ary compilation by the focal points (local partner) and Key Informants. However, it was also noted during the course of interviews that participants had limited knowledge or experience in answering questions pertinent to areas beyond their scope of functions.

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Appendix 2: Schedule of CI field visits and stakeholders20-28 April 2013

Date Activities20 April Arrival of CI Mission21 April Planning and coordination of visit with SAEDA22 April Dr Keomorakoth Sidlakone

Deputy Director GeneralMinistry of Industry & CommerceDepartment of Domestic TradePhoxay Rd, Ban PhonxaySaysettha District, VientianeLao PDREmail: [email protected], [email protected]: 856-21-412015Somthavy ChangvisommidDirector General of FDDMinistry of Health Food & Drug Department (FDD)Khouvieng Road, Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected]: 856-21 951096, 214013-14

23 April Visit to Thanaleng Border Check PointThongvang RatsavongDeputy DirectorMinistry of Health Food & Drug Quality Control CentreKhouvieng Road, Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected], [email protected] Tel: 856-21 243379Bounlom DouangngeunDirectorNational Animal Health CentreLouangprabang RoadSikhottabong DistrictPO Box 811 Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected], [email protected] Tel: 856-21 216380

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Date Activities24 April Dr Yunguo Liu, WHO Representative

World Health Organization, 125 Saphanthong Road, Unit 5Ban Saphanthongtai, Sisattanak DistrictPO Box 343, Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected]: 856-21-315820, 353902/03/04Dr Sisaliao SvengsuksaPresidentAssociation pour le Soutien au Développement des Sociétés Pay-sannes (ASDSP)PO Box 330, VientianeEmail: [email protected]: 856-21 313976Sumek ThirakunsaykitPresidentAgriculture Export-Import Co LtdK.C. fashion StoreTel: 856-21 213942

25 April Round-Table Discussion in the Hotel Salana Boutique View, Vientiane26 April Market visit and analysis of research data27 April Market visit and appointment with SAEDA28 April Departure of CI Mission

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Appendix 3: Schedule of the Round Table Discussion25 July 201309:00 – 09:30: Registration09:30 – 09:40: Welcome by SAEDA09:40 – 10:00: Introduction to Consumers International byDrAnniMitin,PolicyOfficer,ConsumersInternationalOfficeoftheAsia-PacificandtheMiddleEast10:00 – 10:30: Tea10:30–11:00: PresentationoftheassessmentfindingsonFoodControlMeasures in Laos by Dr Anni Mitin and Satya Sharma, Consumers International11:00 – 12:30: Open discussion for future agenda 12:30 – 12:45: Closing Remarks by SAEDALunch***

Appendix 4: List of participants for Round-Table DiscussionThongdam PhongphichithCo-DirectorSustainable Agriculture & Environment Development AssociationNo 101 Unit 5, Saphanthong Neua VillaSisattanak DistVientiane, Lao PDRPO Box 4881Email: [email protected]: (856)021-264290

Thavisith BounyasoukTechnicalOfficerMinistry of Agriculture & Forestry Department of Agriculture, Standard DivisionPO Box 811Lao PDREmail: [email protected]: 856-21 412350

Thongvang RatsavongDeputy DirectorMinistry of Health Food & Drug Quality Control CentreKhouvieng Road, Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected], [email protected] Tel: 856-21 243379

Bounchanh VongkhasyDeputy DirectorConsumer Protection & Competition DivisionMinistry of Industry & CommerceDomestic Trade DepartmentPhonexay Road, Vientiane Lao PDRPO Box 4107Email: [email protected]: 856-21-412015

Viengsavanth Nakhonesid-FishProject AssistantEmerging Diseases Surveillance & Re-sponse (ESR)World Health Organization125 Saphanthong Road, Unit 5Ban Saphanthongtai, Sisattanak DistrictPO Box 343Vientiane, Lao PDREmail:[email protected]: 856-21 353902/03/04

Southavanh ThephasyDeputy Head of Food & Soft Drink Inspection Div.Ministry of HealthThe Bureau of Food and Drug InspectionPO Box 6834Vientiane, Lao PDREmail: [email protected]: 856-21 254611

Sumek ThirakunsaykitPresidentAgriculture Export-Import Co LtdK.C. fashion StoreTel: 856-21 213942

Dr Anni MitinSatya SharmaConsumers International

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Contacts

Mr. Thomas BreuerLändliche Entwicklung und Agrarwirtschaft Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHFriedrich-Ebert-Allee 3653113 BonnGermanyEmail: [email protected]

Mr. Matthias BickelASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS)50 Department of Agriculture Sitthiporn Building, 4th FloorPhaholyothin Road, Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 ThailandEmail: [email protected]

Mr. Till AhnertStandards in the South-East Asian Food Trade (SAFT)C/o Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHMenara BCA, 46th FloorJl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1Jakarta 10310IndonesiaEmail: [email protected]

Published by:Deutsche Gesellschaft fürInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Author:Consumers InternationalOfficeforAsiaPacificandtheMiddleEastLot 5-1 Wisma WIM,7 Jalan Abang Heji Openg,Taman Tun Dr Ismail6000 Kuala LumpurMalaysiaEmail: [email protected]

Printed and distributed by:Deutsche Gesellschaft fürInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

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