Seminar on food legislation, October 2002, Almaty, Kazakhstan Food legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan № 1783 of «On food products and raw materials quality and safety». Organizations that provide its implementation are the Ministries of: - Healthcare; Agriculture; Industry and Trade (State Standard). Activities of the central bodies are defined by the Laws: - «On Sanitary epidemiology well-being»; «On Veterinary service»; «On standardization»; «On certification»; «On Plant quarantine»; «On consumers’ protection».

An authority to develop and set rules, regulations, and instructions at the central level is granted to the above-mentioned Ministries of Healthcare, Agriculture, Industry and Trade. Chief doctors of territorial bodies and facilities of the State sanitary epidemiology control have an authority to issue instructions according to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On sanitary epidemiological well-being”

Consumers counseling on sales issues and NGO counseling on the issues of rules and regulation development are provided by the Association of consumers’ right protection, as well as sanitary doctors of food hygiene departments in sanitary epidemiology centers. Cabinet of the Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a coordinating body between different governmental organizations dealing with this issue. National standard bureau is represented by the State Committee on Standardization. Food safety criteria are set by Sanitary Standard # «Hygiene requirements of food products and raw materials’ quality and safety». Criteria are not harmonized with Codex Alimentarius. Point of contact with Codex Alimentarius is WHO liaison office in Kazakhstan. There is no reference research point of WTO in Kazakhstan.

Food additives : consider International recommendations of FAO/WHO Sanitary Standard «Temporary of food additives» Sanitary Standard «Food additives» Approval procedure and registration system for food additives are as follows: Domestic production: Standard or technical condition are to be approved by the Republican Sanitary Epidemiology Station (RSES) or MOH. It requires tests in bacteriology and sanitary epidemiology laboratories. Based on these tests “Hygiene Conclusion” is issued. The same procedure exists for Technical conditions. Toxicology equipment and expertise. Republican SES and State Standard should attest all toxicology labs and their equipment. Specialists are to be attested by RSES and MOH, equipment and measuring tools are to be tested by metrology tests in State Standard.

Residual pesticides. Permissible quantities of pesticides in food products are set in Sanitary Standard # – 97, «Permissible levels of pesticides in food products» Sanitary Standard # All pesticides that are used or imported to the country should pass tests in the pesticide laboratory of RSES.

Sanitary equipment at the levels of food processing and food service. Water supply. Kazakhstan has one State Standard # 2874 «Drinking Water», Sanitary Standard. Based on these standards enterprises should utilize water that complies State Standard from centralized or local water supply system. Country has sanitary rules for the catering enterprises that reflect the issues of ventilation, water supply, heating, equipment requirements, toilet equipment, disinfectants, insecticides. Compliance of the catering enterprises to the standards is regulated by Sate sanitary control services of the country.

Food product labeling is implemented according to sanitary requirements of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Food products. Information for Consumer ”. Labels should indicate country of origin, name and address of the enterprise, name of the product, its content (if the food additives are used international INS or European F (index), food energetic value, Standard or Technical Conditions, grade (if applicable), weight, date of production, conditions and dates of safe utilization, way of cooking.

Sampling is performed according to state standards, from every consignment at the production place. It is done according to planed control arrangements of sanitary control bodies. Quality assessment during production is implemented by the labs of producer or by the labs of sanitary epidemiology organization (according to the contract with producer). Law “On state sanitary well-being “ and “On state sanitary epidemiology service” regulates control over the enterprises that produce food products. Law “On Licensing” regulates licensing of food production activities. A decision to close an enterprise that doesn’t compile with sanitary standards is issued in a form of Resolution of the Chief Sanitary doctor of the territory. Medical sanitary control over the individuals employed by the food industry is implemented according to the Resolution of the Ministry of Health of the republic of Kazakhstan # 555 “On obligatory health examination”.