Paulina Quintao – Timor-Leste has yet to introduce legislation to standardize food safety regulations for imports to the country.

World Food Programme (WFP) Country representative Stephen Kearney said a standardized system was important to guarantee the safety and quality of food imports to the country.

"We have worked with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Environment to develop the draft law on a food certification [system]," he said in Hotel Timor, Dili.

About 99% of goods sold in Timor-Leste are imported from overseas. In order to reduce malnutrition in Timor, he said all relevant ministries must make a big investment and work together to address the problem.

"It needs big investment, time and patience because the main obstacle faced by Timor is education," Kearney said. "We should encourage people to consume healthy food and have a healthy diet, including fish, egg, chicken meat, vegetables and fruits, so we can prevent malnutrition."

However, he said it was big problem as rice was now a staple food for Timorese people and a dinner without rice was not considered a proper meal.

He said there needed to be a change in people's mentality as rice had a low nutritional value compared to other staple foods, and although it makes you feel full it does not help with cognitive development.

Meanwhile, WFP itself has provided supplementary food like corn flour to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and children under five years of age.

WFP is also supporting local organizations, especially mothers groups, in the sukus (villages) with the aim of educating communities about the importance of good nutrition.

He said various malnutrition types had been identified in Timor such as stunting, wasting, anemia and micronutrient deficiencies. Obesity is another problem due to the prevalence of fast food in Timor.

According to Kearney, the fact that some Timorese people are short and skinny is not about genetics, but because of the impact of consuming food low in nutrition.

Meanwhile, President of Commission F (responsible for health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) MP Virgilio da Costa Hornai said it was important to introduce a standardized system for products imported into the country, particularly food.

"The products entering the market should have a certification to guarantee that they are safe for the society and consumers," he said.

He said the parliament had already approved consumer protection law, but it was important for the government to establish a national laboratory specifically for food testing.

Research conducted in 2013 into food and nutrition in Timor-Leste's showed that 50.2% of children aged under 5 suffered from stunting as a result of malnutrition, while 37.7% were underweight and 11% showed signs of wasting.

Deputy Health Minister Ana Isabel Soares said in order to reduce malnutrition rates in Timor, the government had established a commission called Konsstantil composed of representatives from the relevant ministries.

"This commission, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, has an objective to find a solution to address the issue of malnutrition in Timor," she said.

She said malnutrition was not only the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and that the Ministries of Infrastructure and Agriculture also had a responsibility to ensure that communities had access to clean water and sufficient food.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/news/14178-timor-yet-to-introduce-food-safety-legislation