Resident Rosaria Martins da Cruz said that as a consumer she has concerns about the quality of foods being imported from overseas with fears consuming imported food containing chemicals may lead to chronic disease.
She urged the government to establish a laboratory to test all imported foods for quality before authorizing it to be sold in the community.
“Competent Organs have to look into this matter so that we do not harm people’s health in particular young Timorese generations because what we consume might have an impact on our organs and brain,” said resident Martins in Comoro, Dili. He also raised the issue of labels in canned food written in Chinese character or in English only with pictures of dogs and chicken and sold at very cheap prices.
The President of Commission D (for economy and development affairs) Member of Parliament MP Jacinta Abu Cau Pereira said Timor-Leste does not produce enough food locally so it need to import most of its food.
She added it will be difficult to stop food imports because the country does not produce enough of its own food but the MP’s agrees with increased regulation of imported foods.
“The business warehouses have to be inspected regularly and carefully because sometimes they sell cheaply foods that are about to expire.”
MP Pereira added that those who sell expired foods to the community needs to be sanctioned.
Meanwhile the Chief of Department for Non Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Doctor Herculano Seixas dos Santos said the rates of non communicable diseases are higher than for contagious diseases.
“Every year people die from non communicable diseases such as high blood, cancers, renal failure, heart problems and diabetes,” said Doctor Santos.
