Ugandans may have to wait for a long time before they can access a plate of safe food. This development is on all edibles inUgandaboth imported and locally made because the country does not have food safety standards to governUganda’s food industry.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards gives little hope forUgandato ever have quality consumables in the country. This situation, according to health experts may lead to increasing poor health conditions among Ugandans.

Ugandasince 2007, has failed to come up with a food safety policy because all sectors inUgandaare pulling strings over who should be the overseer of the whole programme.

For the last 14 years,Ugandahas lived in a state of quagmire with no law on food production, preparation and packaging of products. However from 1997 to dateUgandahas had a series of import bans, especially on foods on grounds of food safety.

CurrentlyUgandaonly has a law on sub-standard products which gives weak penalties for people or entities found guilty of dealing in poor quality foods.

Ms Hellen Wenene, the UNBS legal counsel says that the penalty is a fine of between 10, 000 shillings and 30, 000 shillings and or imprisonment of at least one year.

The government needs to address this penalty urgently to specify which sector must be taken responsible on the issue of food safety. Ugandans are currently hit by an ‘epidemic’ of fake food.

Ugandaalso is experiencing increasing number of existing substandard and counterfeit products on her market today because of the reported weakness of UNBS to curb the problem.