The Rwanda Food and Drug Authority (Rwanda FDA) has informed importers and traders of processed foods that an import license will only be issued for "high-risk” food products. The cost of the import licence is equivalent to 0.2 per cent of the value of the food products, according to the regulator.

"These are products that have high possibility of being contaminated, or have intrinsic properties which can support the

growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or contain chemical toxicants, or because of their intended use or their potential for malpractice risks associated to

manufacturing," an import and export control analyst at Rwanda FDA told The New Times on Wednesday, March 26.

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This move follows an announcement issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) in January regarding the government decision to streamline service delivery within the National Quality Infrastructure institutions.

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Import permits were scrapped for some products. However, according to Rwanda FDA, the following are the ‘high-risk food products’ that will require import licenses before entering the country:

Fortified food products

The regulatory body stated that all fortified food products will require import licenses.

Fortified food products are foods that have nutrients added to them.

The purpose of fortification is to enhance the nutritional value of the foods and prevent or correct deficiencies in a population.

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Milk and meat products

Fermented milk, flavored milk, pasteurized milk, Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk, sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, dairy ice cream, and ice cream will require import permits.

This category also includes milk powders, cream powders (whole milk powder, partially skimmed milk powder, skimmed milk powder, and cream), butter, ghee, cheese, and processed cheese products.

Meat sausages and canned meats will require import licenses.

Processed egg products

Egg powder, pasteurized liquid eggs, and mayonnaise will require import permits.

Processed fish and seafood products

This category includes fish sausages, fish flour, canned fish, and processed seafood.

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Beverages

The beverages that will require an import permit include alcoholic drinks, wines, plant-flavored alcoholic drinks, banana-based alcoholic beverages, cereal-based alcoholic beverages, neutral and potable spirits, and other alcoholic beverages.

This category also includes drinking water, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable drinks, as well as energy drinks.

Food for particular nutritional uses

This category includes infant formula for normal nutrition uses, infant formula for special medical purposes, follow-up formula, growing-up formula, fortified processed food for older infants and young children, processed cereal-based food for infants and young children, foods for weight reduction, therapeutic and medical food, and other foods for special dietary uses.

Food supplements and similar products

Food products requiring import permits in this category include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, probiotics or prebiotics, enzymes, coenzymes, and other metabolite supplements.

Oils

This category has olive oil.

Composite food products

Various processed food products containing a mix of both processed products of animal and plant origin will require import permits.

Processed GMO food products

Various processed food products containing ingredients derived from genetically modified (GMO) crops will also require import licenses.

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"Rwanda FDA reserves the right to update the list of high-risk food products whenever necessary,” the regulator said in an announcement on Tuesday.

"Importers of high-risk food products are reminded to fulfill the requirements before importation as described in the applicable regulatory tools.”

Low-risk food products will only be subjected to physical inspection upon arrival at the point of entry.

"Locally made food products falling into these categories shall continue to be regulated as per existing regulations,” said Rwanda FDA.