Dr Siti N Abdul Malek (pictured), director at the AFBA secretariat, said the Product Working Group of Prepared Foodstuffs (PFPWG) is working on the MRA and will be finalised by this year.

“In the food industry you need to demonstrate with evidence that the products you produce for the consumers are safe for consumption,” she said.

Food processors need to install a system that can eliminate or minimise microbiological or chemical contamination.

Mutual recognition will allow a food hygiene system that is in place in one Asean member state to be recognised in another Asean member state. Dr Siti said this will keep testing from being duplicated to prove that a particular product is safe for consumption.

According to the Asean website, PFPWG has been actively supporting the Asean Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACSSQ) in its task to eliminate technical barriers to trade manufactured food.

AFBA represents national associations in Southeast Asia involved in the manufacture, distribution and sale of food and beverage products. The group is advocating for the harmonisation of the food industry standards and regulatory requirements in Asean.