Looking beyond the fried rice and kottu

The sale of substandard, unhygienic food in unregulated food establishments is not a new phenomenon in Sri Lanka. But the fact that many such establishments continue to operate in broad daylight is quite concerning given the fact that it makes people vulnerable to various non-communicable diseases via food-borne illnesses. In Sri Lanka, the Food Act, No. 26 of 1980, is the primary legislation governing food control, aiming to ensure the availability of safe, wholesome, and honestly presented food for human consumption. It was amended in 1991 and again in 2011 and is now drawn as the Food (Amendment) Act No. 29 of 2011.

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One of the main additions to this Act was the introduction of a Food Advisory Committee. In a bid to ensure national food and nutrition security, the incumbent government approved the establishment of a Food Policy and Safety Committee under the Presidential Office. The move aligns with the Government’s policy, which emphasizes self-sufficiency by boosting domestic food production and maintaining a three-month buffer stock of essential food items. While this has been appreciated by nutritionists and food experts who have been raising their voices against substandard and unhygienic food products in the market, much more needs to be done to ensure food security, going beyond mere documentation.