EatSafe conducted this review to analyze existing food safety policy, regulations, and standards at the national, regional, and local levels in Ethiopia. While the country’s constitution and recent policy efforts recognize the importance of food safety, responsibility for food safety regulations, compliance, and inspection in Ethiopia is fragmented and disjointed across different ministries and executive governing bodies. Food safety authorities are distributed between several Ministries and their respective regional offices, local authorities, and municipalities. At present, no integrated coordination mechanism exists to clarify overlaps or gaps in food safety regulations. The fragmentation of regulatory authorities was also observed in compliance and inspection activities. A lack of training for government personnel in food safety best practices has led to reduced supervisory competence and low levels of food safety expertise in Ethiopia’s regulatory authorities.
In April 2022, this report was adapted into a policy brief.