The Roles of Institutional Frameworks in Enforcing Food Safety in Malaysia

Abstract

Objective - Food is one of the basic elements of survival. Nevertheless, the advancement of science and technology has made food safety a complex issue. Chemical additives that are harmful to health are constantly added into our food products. Food safety involves the health of the society at large and the productivity of individuals in our country. There needs to be a tightening of laws to ensure that the food safety of our products is always protected. The objective of this paper is to examine the roles of various enforcement agencies - both governmental and non-governmental - and to conduct a comparative study with the Food Standard Agency in the United Kingdom. Methodology/Technique - The governmental agency involved in this study is the Food and Quality Division under the Ministry of Health Malaysia. The paper also examines the role of non-governmental agencies, namely, the Consumer Association of Penang and the National Consumer Complaints Centre, in channeling and documenting complaints from consumers to relevant enforcement agencies. A qualitative methodology is adopted to analyze the relevant documents. Findings - The results of the research identifies that the enforcement of the laws by governmental bodies needs to be improved. On the other hand, non-governmental bodies are found to be effectively executing their duties. Therefore, it is suggested that government agencies should increase transparency in reporting their cases to the consumers, particularly through their website. It is also suggested that they report irresponsible food manufacturers in newspapers and seek to prosecute those manufacturers in courts. Novelty - It is hoped that this paper will act to advise food manufacturers of the governmental and non-governmental regulatory bodies in place. The paper also proposes that the Food Safety and Quality Division work together with non-governmental bodies, namely the Consumer Association of Penang and the National Consumer Complaint Centre, to combat food safety and quality, to increase transparency and enforce the laws on food safety more rigorously. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Food Safety; Enforcement; Food Manufacturers; Food Quality Standards; Community; Consumers. JEL Classification: L60, L66, L69