The health inspectors throughout the country are technically assisted by these officers. Implementation of food safety activities is carried out at the local and provincial levels by field staff who provide food inspection services. Besides the Department of Health, the Department of Primary Industry assumes responsibility over the production, preservation and marketing of meat and certain food commodities. Papua New Guinea has a limited food sampling programme because laboratory analytical facilities and trained personnel are lacking. The Central Public Health Laboratory is equipped to carry out only limited food analysis.
Hospital laboratories conduct bacteriological tests, but mainly to meet their own needs.
Training in food sanitation and food technology is available at the College of Allied Health Sciences at Madang and the University of Technology at Lae. Upon recruitment, health inspectors receive some form of basic training in food safety and control. Food legislation Controls over food are set down in the Pure Food Act, Public Health Act, Restaurant Licensing Act, Sale of Meat Act, Slaughtering Act, Bread Act, Baby Feed Supplies Act and regulations made under these acts. Most of the food laws of Papua New Guinea are adopted from the Australian food laws. Only the central authorities are empowered to enact food safety legislation, but the provincial government may enact certain laws which are not inconsistent with the national laws.