Law on food safety.

The law governs the relations with respect to the safety at stages of import, export, manufacture, processing, packaging, labelling, transport, storage and placing on the market of food, materials in contact with food and food additives, as well as at stages of trading and mass catering. This Law shall not apply to: (a) domestic preparation, handling or storage of food for private or domestic consumption; (b) transit transfers of foodstuff. The basic principles of public policies ensuring food safety are as follows: (a) protection of consumers interests; (b) safety of human life and health and safety of environment at all stages of food chain; (c) international cooperation and information exchange; (d) international criteria and requirements for ensuring food safety. Foodstuff, materials in contact with food and food additives placed on the internal market shall meet sanitary and hygienic requirements and shall be labelled in Armenian. Labels shall contain the following information: (a) the name, net weight or volume if pre-packaged; (b) the list of the main ingredients; (c) the list of the food additives added to foodstuff (if any); (d) the day, month and year of production, storage terms, special instructions for storage (if any) and the date of minimum durability; (e) instructions for use; (f) particulars of the manufacturer (address and business name); (g) country of origin of the foodstuff, materials in contact with food and food additives; (h) alcoholic strength by volume for alcoholic beverages; (i) nutritive value; (j) other information provided for by the Law; (k) information on “genetically modified food” if applicable. Foodstuff, materials in contact with food and food additives shall be subject to compulsory compliance certification. State control of safety of food and food additives at all stages of production and circulation shall be implemented by the Government of the Republic of Armenia through its authorities. In order to ensure food safety it shall be compulsory to input a self-control system based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system principles.