Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA)

The Authority is responsible for overseeing the administration and enforcement of the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2016, the Animal Health and Production Act, 2016, and the Plant Protection Act, 2016. In carrying out the objectives of this Act, the Authority shall operate in accordance with the principles contained in the SPS Agreement, namely— (a) necessity; (b) harmonization with international standards; (c) risk assessment and science-based actions; (d) transparency; (e) equivalence; and (f) proportionality. The functions of the Authority are to— (a) monitor the performance of enforcement agencies in administering the legislation for which they are responsible; (b) formulate strategies and policies on food safety and quality, including procedures for emergency response, and to monitor their implementation; (c) protect human or animal life or health from food-borne risks arising from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in foods, beverages or feedstuffs; (d) protect animal and plant life or health from the entry, establishment or spread of pests, disease-carrying or disease-causing organisms; (e) protect human life and health from diseases carried by animals, plants or products thereof; (f) ensure that there is wide consultation with all sectors of the food industry, animal health and plant health in carrying out its activities under this Act; (g) provide advice, information or assistance to any relevant body in relation to food safety and quality and food trade; (h) obtain, compile and keep under review information concerning, food safety and other sanitary and phytosanitary matters; (i) to coordinate training programs for food safety; animal health and plant health; and (j) carry out any other matters in connection with or reasonably incidental to the foregoing.