MFDA Gives Food Businesses Six Months to Meet New Labelling Rules

Food importers, manufacturers and packaging businesses have been given six months to bring product labels into compliance with a new regulation that introduces stricter packaging standards and penalties of up to MVR 1 million for serious or repeated violations.

The Maldives Food and Drug Authority published the Regulation on Food Packaging and Labelling last week, bringing it into force immediately. However, the authority has provided a six-month grace period for businesses to make the changes required under its food labelling provisions.

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The regulation requires food to be stored and packaged using food-grade materials intended specifically for that purpose. It prohibits businesses from using containers that were not designed for food storage, including disposable Polyethylene Terephthalate bottles and other single-use plastic bottles.

The new framework also gives the MFDA authority to suspend or revoke licences and registrations issued under the Food Safety Act when negligence by an importer, exporter, packager or labeller creates a risk to public health.

Importing, commercially manufacturing, packaging or labelling food with misleading information is classified as an offence, whether the activity is carried out directly or through another party. A first offence carries a fine of MVR 10,000 and a seven-day licence suspension, while a second offence carries a fine of MVR 100,000 and a 15-day suspension.

A third offence can result in a fine of MVR 750,000 and the revocation of the business licence or registration. Where misleading information causes harm to a person’s health or places their life at risk, the authority may impose a fine of up to MVR 1 million.

Separate penalties apply when food is labelled in a manner that does not meet the technical standards established under the regulation. The first violation carries a fine of MVR 10,000, increasing to MVR 100,000 for a second offence, MVR 500,000 for a third offence and MVR 750,000 for a fourth offence.

A fifth violation can result in a fine of MVR 1 million and the cancellation of the licence or registration. The escalating penalties place greater responsibility on businesses to ensure that information displayed on packaged food is accurate and that products meet the required safety and presentation standards.

The regulation replaces the National Standard for Labelling Prepackaged Foods, which had previously governed food labelling requirements in the Maldives. Businesses covered by the new rules will now have six months to review their labels and make the necessary changes before full compliance is required.