Food and Drugs (Amendment) Act, 2016

BF,LIZE: FOOD AND DRUGS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2016 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 1 . Short title. 2. Amendment of section 8. 3. Insertion of new PART VIII. No. l Food and Drags I No. of 2016 I assent, Goyernor-General AN ACT to amend the Food a d Drugs Act, Chapter 291 ofthe Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, to make provision empoweing the making ot regulations to empob,er the establishment of a drug registry as well as generally to give effect to the provisions ol the Act, to make Jurther provisions regarding the labelling offooil or drug products; and to provide fot matten connected therewilh or incidental thereto. (Gazetted 2016.) BE IT ENACTED, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Representatives and Senate of Belize and by the authority of the sarne, as follows: 1 . This Act may be cited as the FOOD AN'D DRUGS (AMEND ACT. 2016 Short tille 1 Food and Drugs Iiir. and shall be read and construed as one with the Food and Drugs Act, which as amended, is hereinafter referred to as the principal Act. 2. Section 8 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting next after subsection (2) the following as subsections (3), (4) and (5) : "(3) A person who sells or otherwise has in his possession for sale any drug shall, notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, ensure that the drug bears a iabel whether attached to or printed on the wrapper or container or not, for the drug, that sets out the information otherwise under this Act required to be stated thereon, (a) in English; (b) in English and Spanish, or (c) in Spanish and, in addition to those language requirements, in any other language that the Minister may prescribe by Order, for the purposes of this subsection; and in every case the sale or possession shall be in accordance with such other requirements as may be prescribed. " (4) A person who contravenes subsection (3) commits an offence. (5) No person who sells or otherwise has in his possession for sale any food or drug shall tamper with or remove any label that satisfies the requirements ofthis Act, whether attached to or printed on the wrapper or container or not, for the food or drug, that sets out the information otherwise under this Act required to be stated thereon. " 3. The principal Act is amended by inselting next after section 54 the following as PART VIII: hsertion of tre\T PART 1'III. No,J F;td und Drugs "PART VIII General Regulations 55. Without affecting any other regulation making powers under this Act, the Minister may make regulations for giving effect to the purposes and provisions of this Act, and in particular but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, may make regulations (a) respecting (, the labelling and packaging and the offering, exposing and advertising for sale of food or drugs; (ii) the size, dimensions, fill and other specifi cations of packages of food or drugs; (iri) the sale or the condition of sale ofany food or drugs; and (iv) the use ofany substance as an ingredient in any food or drug , to prevent the consumer or purchaser thereof from being deceived or misled as to its quantity, character, value, composition, merit or safety or to prevent injury to the health ofthe consumer or purchaser; @ prescribingstandardsofcomposition,strength, potency, purity, quality or other property ofany article offood or drug; (tl) as regards the importation or exportation offood or drugs, in order to ensure compliance witl this Act and the Regulations; Power lo make regulations! generally. 3 Food and Drugs lNo. (e) providing for the issue oflicences for the sale, marketing, importation or exportation of food or drugs; A as regards the method of preparation, manufacture, preserving, packing, storing and testing ofany food or drug, in the interest ofor for the prevention of injury to, the health of the consumer orpurchaser; @) requiring persons who sell food or drugs to maintain such books and records as may be prescribed or as the Ministerconsiders necessary for the proper enforcement ald administration of this Act and regulations made thereunder; (h) as regards the powers and duties ofinspectors made thereunder and analysts and the taking of samples and the seizure, detenti on, forfeiture and disposition of articles; (il exempting any food or drug from all or any ofthe provisions of this Act or regulations made thereunderandprescribingthe conditionsofthe exemption; (il prescribing forms forthe purposes ofthis Act and reguiations made thereunder; (k) providing for the analysis offood and drugs, atthe request of members ofthe public, and prescriping a tariff of fees to be paid for the analysis and inspection; (l) providing forthe making ofspecial Schedules, of drugs and for the listing or describing of drugs therein and for the conditions under which the drugs shall be sold including the process or No. J Food and Drugs 5 condition of manufacture, storage and distributiorl the kind and conditions ofthe premises wherein manufactured, stored and distributed, the qualifi cation oftechnical staff engaged therein, and such other matters as arenecessaryto ensure that any drug so listed and described rvill not be unsafe for use; (nt) providing for the maintaining ofa drug registry of approved drugs and prescribing any fees to be charged with respect to each application for approval; (n) adding anything to any ofthe Schedules under paragraph (1), in the interest of, or lbr the prevention ofinj ury to, the health ofthe consumer or purchaser, ordeleting an)'thhg thetefrom; and (o) prescribing anlthing authorised or required to be prescribed underthis Act. (2) Regulations made under this section may prescribe in respect ofany contravention thereofa fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both." Prinled i Belize by lhe Gawrnment Ptiktet