Israel plans changes to food licensing rules

Israel has proposed a revised system of food business licensing to ease the regulatory burden on industry and improve sanitary conditions.

The Ministry of Health said the current regulation, regarding business licensing in general and food businesses in particular, is outdated and places a heavy regulatory burden on companies. This deters the sector’s competitiveness, leading to surplus costs with no evidence of health benefits.

Reform will focus on training food handlers and holding business owners accountable for risk management and maintaining public health.

The goal is to set outcome-based requirements as much as possible. Practitioners will learn about the risks in their activities and take steps to prevent them. This approach shifts the relationship from an inspector-inspected dynamic to one where all parties—inspectors and businesses—work together to protect public health.

Risk of foodborne illness
Uriel Bosso, Minister of Health, said: “The Ministry of Health’s food business licensing reform is a direct continuation of our struggle with the cost of living and an additional historic move towards implementing a policy of regulatory improvement, obstacle removal, and assistance to Israeli entrepreneurs. The reform will increase economic competition and, hopefully, decrease prices for the end consumer.”

Regulations aimed at food businesses are designed to protect public health and manage risks associated with storing, preparing, and serving different types of food. These risks can cause gastrointestinal illness and food poisoning.

Intestinal infectious disease data related to food, such as salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and listeriosis, shows that about 130,000 patients are reported annually.

In September, the Ministry of Health reported an undisclosed number of E. coli infections and said the bacteria had been found in several apples. The agency added that washing fruits and vegetables with water before consumption was important.

In August, local media reported a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak affecting people nationwide. More than 40 patients reported consuming fish at home or in restaurants, while 18 sick people ate chicken meat.

Change in approach
Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Director General of the Ministry of Health, said the reform will better safeguard public health through more appropriate monitoring mechanisms and increased flexibility for food businesses.

“The present reform will align Israeli regulation with European standards. For this initiative to succeed, we must all commit to the effort. On our part, we will ease regulations and assist businesses in navigating these changes. Local authorities will help monitor, while businesses will take responsibility by adhering to regulations. Additionally, the public must be more proactive in its expectations and requirements for businesses to operate properly.”

Dr. Sharon Elroi Preiss, head of health services in the Ministry of Health, said: “Our goal is to establish updated regulations that maintain public health without posing an economic obstacle for small businesses, especially at this time. At the Ministry of Health, we see our role as assisting businesses in finding solutions that enable them to operate while ensuring public health is maintained.”

The reform is scheduled to begin in about six months and will be divided into three stages. The first stage involves canceling low-risk regulatory requirements. The second stage includes incentivizing firms to take responsibility and grouping establishments. The third step is the transition to risk-based licensing. Comments on the plans can be submitted until Nov. 17, 2024.

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