The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has confirmed that the government has started work on a modern National Food Safety Laboratory. The project will give the country a fully equipped facility to test imported food quickly and in detail.
Deputy Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Ismail Zahir shared the news on the PSM News programme Raajje Miadhu. He said the feasibility report for the Hulhumalé site is complete. Architects are now preparing the drawings.
“We expect to announce the final project details in the last quarter of this year,” he said. A donor-funded programme will finance the build.
Advanced testing capacity for imports
The new lab will house state-of-the-art equipment. The machines can detect heavy metals, pesticide residues and other chemical contaminants. These tests have long needed sophisticated instruments.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu promised this machinery in his presidential address earlier this year. Zahir confirmed that crews have already installed the heavy-metal and pesticide testing units.
“We are currently procuring the necessary chemicals and consumables, and this work will continue throughout the year,” he explained.
Closing a gap in the framework
MFDA Food Safety Assurance Coordinator Khaalisa Mohamed said the laboratory will round off the authority’s regulatory duties. A full facility for pesticides and heavy metals will close a major gap in the country’s food-safety framework, she said.
The lab will let the MFDA run high-precision analyses at home. The authority will no longer rely on external labs. This shift will speed up the clearance of imports.
Meeting international standards
The MFDA says the Maldives already holds one of the most complete sets of world-class testing instruments in the region. Under the Maldives Food Safety Act, the National Food Safety Laboratory will analyse hazardous bacteria and chemical contaminants. It must follow international Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards and employ trained professionals.
The authority is now building national technical capacity. It is also finalising the regulations needed to meet both domestic and international safety benchmarks.