The operations of about 21 resorts have been disrupted after the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) failed to notify resorts of a change in the health certificate standards for some imported food items.
A senior resort employee told Adhadhu that 21 resorts could not clear imported poultry products, disrupting operations due to failure to communicate the change in the standard of health certificates.
The employee said no discussions were held with industry stakeholders and when contacted, the Health Ministry claims that an announcement was publicised in the government gazette.
"They said it was gazetted. They did not notify any supplier. We bring goods every week. Different resorts bring them on different schedules. Our goods should be available by Monday," he said.
"We schedule it that way to ensure the food doesn't go bad. Now it's one day late and it's affecting our operation."
The MFDA said in an announcement in the government gazette on October 20, 2025, that the health certificate for some food items imported into the Maldives must fit the Codex Alimentarius standards starting January 15, 2026.
Many resorts import poultry through Germany's AirSeaFoods. The goods brought by the company could not be cleared.
The MFDA has now extended the deadline for submitting certificates to the standard until March 31. Some resorts are now clearing the goods and transporting them by seaplane.
