Act No. 7 of 1996 on Food.

The 14 Chapters of this basic food law cover the following areas: definitions and guiding principles, including the right to food and the importance of food quality in the development process (1); Food production and processing destined for trade are subjected to regulations on food safety (sanitation, additives, genetic engineering, packaging, contamination and quality assurance) (2); Food quality and nutrition (3); Food labelling and advertisement (4), including a special provision on the labelling and advertising of Halal meat (art. 34); Imports and exports are also subject to the Act (5); Liability of the food industry (6); The Government and the community shall be responsible for the promotion of food resilience and a national food reserve shall be determined periodically (7); The community is given the power to participate in the promotion of consumer protection (8); Government supervisory powers and administrative measures against violations (9); Criminal provisions (10). The remaining chapters deal with: delegation of powers to local Government (11); Emergency powers in case of food shortage (12); Continued application of pre-existing food regulations not contrary to the Act (13).
While the Act recognises the need to create an internationally competitive food market, it emphasises the need for gradual regulation in order to assist the adaptation of small-scale enterprises. The Act does not apply to food produced and consumed by households (art. 63).