Muscat: The advanced legislative system of the Food Safety and Quality Centre, associated with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, serves as a crucial component in bolstering food security and safeguarding public health in Oman. This system plays a vital role in improving food control efficiency, increasing consumer confidence, facilitating trade, and enabling the food sector to adapt to rapid regional and international changes and challenges.
According to Oman News Agency, the Centre is persistently working on updating its legislative and regulatory framework to align with international best practices and modern scientific standards. This initiative is designed to prepare the Sultanate of Oman for developments related to food safety, modern food technologies, and emerging risks. It aims to enhance the competitiveness of national food products and improve compliance levels among various relevant entities.
Dr. Intisar Salim Al Gharibi, Director General of the Food Safety and Quality Centre, affirmed Oman's dedication to evolving a flexible and integrated legislative framework that aligns with global changes. This commitment supports the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 by strengthening food security, protecting consumer health, enhancing the competitiveness of the food sector, and reinforcing Oman's position as a reliable partner in the regional and international food trade system.
Dr. Al Gharibi highlighted the achievements from 2023 to 2025, including banning the production, import, export, or marketing of food products containing titanium dioxide based on scientific advancements in food safety. The Centre reviewed 82 draft technical regulations and national and Gulf standard specifications, updated five draft specifications, and studied eight requests for partial amendments to Gulf specifications and regulations, aligning national legislation with regional and international developments.
In 2024, a regulation on food products and advertisements was registered, enhancing proactive control over market-circulated food products and ensuring consumer information accuracy. That year, 66 draft regulations and specifications were reviewed, eight specifications updated and translated, and five amendment requests to Gulf standards studied.
The previous year saw the review of 48 draft regulations and specifications, the update, translation, and adoption of eight new specifications, and the study of six technical amendment requests. The Centre provided 232 standard specifications to departments across Oman's governorates, supporting unified inspection procedures and improving the application of technical requirements along the food chain.
These efforts are crucial in improving the food control system's efficiency by offering unified technical references that support competent authorities and ensure the effective implementation of health and technical requirements throughout the food chain.
