Food Safety Law.

This law sets out the framework and mechanisms for managing and ensuring safety, quality, hygiene and the legitimacy of food in all stages of food production chain, to provide protection of health and food safety for consumers and to ensure fair food trade. The Law consists of 43 Articles divided into 11 Chapters: General Provisions (I); Competent Institutions (II); Technical Provisions on Food and Supervision Principles (III); Food Inspection (IV); Imported Food (V); Food Circulating in the Market (VI); Food Exports (VII); Fees (VIII); Punishment (IX); Transitional Provisions (X)； Final Provisions (XI).
The Ministry of Commerce has the authority to lead, coordinate food quality and safety management, in collaboration with ministries and institutions involved in food quality and safety(art.4). The preparation of food technical regulations must be based on: 1. Cambodian standards for food, codes of conduct and guidelines approved by the National Standard Council; 2. Food standards, codes of conduct, and international guidelines issued by international and regional food safety organizations in case of food standards, codes of conduct, and guidelines of Cambodia are not yet defined; 3. Actual needs and responses to meet the status of human health, industry, trade and national economic status; etc. (art.5). All food businesses must have permits from competent institutions designated by laws and regulations in force. All permits issued shall be in compliance with food requirement. All individuals who are engaged in the food business shall be subject to the common scheme of the fiscal regime in force and receive incentives and exemptions in accordance with laws and regulations in force (art.9). In the event of an urgent response to food safety, ministries and institutions involved in food quality and safety shall issue additional restrictions on food requirements (art.8).
Food imports may require certificates issued by competent authorities of exporting countries in accordance with risk management principles pursuant to applicable laws and relevant regulations (art.26). Food exports must meet the importing countries' requirements in accordance with multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements with the Kingdom of Cambodia which is a party state (art.31).
The Law further provides for: food inspectors shall conduct the monitoring and surveillance in markets for high-risk products and for products being informed about the risks based on the information that confirms the risks and must be in proportion to the level of the risk in that food. In addition, the Law provides for: obligations of food producers and business operators in carrying out their activities; requirements for food labeling and packing, advertisements; etc.