Enforcement of Food Legislation and Its Impact on Food Safety: A Case Study on Food Law Enactment in Mauritius

Abstract

Foodborne diseases affect human health and cause significant economic loss. Among the proposed mitigating strategies to prevent, or at least, to reduce foodborne diseases were the enactment and proper enforcement of food legislation. In Mauritius (MU), many outbreaks have been reported since the enactment and enforcement of the Food Act 1998 (MU) and Food Regulations 1999 (MU). Therefore, it was high time to re-evaluate the impact of the food law on the pattern of foodborne diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the introduction of the Mauritian food legislation had influenced the pattern of foodborne diseases and its suitability in recent years. Data were collected from the website of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life of Mauritius from 1990 to 2015 and analysed using nonparametric statistical methods, where required. Results showed that more foodborne disease cases occurred during enforcement of the food legislation than before. The study also found that the food law was consistently enforced over the years, except during epidemics of chikungunya fever and dengue fever. Furthermore, several strengths and weaknesses were identified in the current legislation related to the risk of foodborne diseases. Comparing the Mauritian with the Australian food laws revealed some similarities and differences between the two legislations. This review showed that overall foodborne diseases in Mauritius increased and were not affected by the food law enforcement. Therefore, a revision of the law and its enforcement is necessary to make them more efficient in preventing foodborne diseases.