Uzbekistan launches unified food safety authority with WTO negotiator appointed as chair

15 May 2026

On 12 May 2026, the President signed Presidential Decree No. 84 and Presidential Resolution No. 178, establishing a new unified regulatory framework for food safety, phytosanitary and veterinary oversight in Uzbekistan. On the same day, Azizbek Urunov was appointed chair of the new Food Safety Committee while retaining his role as Presidential Representative on WTO Affairs. The two acts create the Committee as the single state authority, set out the principles of the reform, and approve a detailed implementation roadmap running through to early 2027.

What has changed and why it matters

Until now, food safety oversight in Uzbekistan was fragmented across multiple agencies including the Plant Quarantine and Protection Agency, the Veterinary and Livestock Development Committee, and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare Committee. Decree No. 84 dissolves this structure and consolidates functions under a single body. The stated goals are eliminating duplication, shifting to risk-based control across the full supply chain from field to table, aligning domestic sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary requirements with Codex Alimentarius, WOAH and IPPC standards, and increasing the accountability of food business operators for product safety.

Leadership appointments

Azizbek Urunov has been appointed chair of the Committee on a concurrent basis, meaning he retains his position as Presidential Representative on WTO Affairs. He was first appointed Special Presidential Representative on WTO matters in June 2023, with the role renamed in July 2025. His background is in economic policy and trade, and he has been among the architects of recent reforms in technical regulation and food safety. He is fluent in Uzbek, Russian and English.

Two deputy chairs have been announced alongside his appointment. Elyar Talaboyev has been appointed Deputy Chair for Compliance and Internal Anti-Corruption Control, released from his previous role as Chief Inspector of the Presidential Administration Head's Secretariat. Furkat Jalilov has been appointed Deputy Chair, simultaneously released from his position as Chief Inspector of the Legal Expertise and Comprehensive Analysis Department of the Presidential Administration.

The leadership profile signals a deliberate combination of priorities. Appointing the chief WTO negotiator as chair connects the food safety agenda directly to Uzbekistan's broader drive to align its regulatory framework with international standards. The dedicated compliance and anti-corruption deputy mirrors a pattern seen in other recent institutional reforms and points to an intention to strengthen management discipline and internal oversight within the new body from the outset.

The new institutional structure

The Food Safety Committee operates as the single authorised body for food safety, phytosanitary and veterinary governance and oversight. It reports directly to the President and Prime Minister. Regional heads are appointed by the Committee chair in coordination with local administrations.

A new Agency for Livestock and Pasture Development has been created under the Ministry of Agriculture, taking over livestock development functions and associated legal obligations from the former Veterinary Committee. A Food Safety Institute has also been established under the Committee to conduct risk research, monitor contaminants and support the registration of new product categories and additives. The Institute's conclusions are explicitly not the sole basis for registration or approval decisions and carry equal weight to findings from other accredited organisations.

An Advisory Council has been created alongside the Committee, bringing together state bodies, food business operators, consumer protection organisations, scientific institutions, conformity assessment bodies and media. Draft mandatory requirements must be reviewed by this council before adoption, and outcomes are to be published on the Committee's website.

Key powers of the Committee relevant to businesses

The Committee's mandate covers the full range of regulatory functions that matter to companies operating in Uzbekistan:

• Developing requirements, rules and national standards
• Maintaining registries of food business operators and certain product and substance categories
• Issuing licences and carrying out permitting procedures
• Applying temporary trade and import restrictions when risks are identified
• Organising product recalls and conducting market surveillance including HACCP compliance inspections

Upcoming regulatory changes from the implementation roadmap

Resolution No. 178 approves a detailed roadmap of measures. The following are most relevant for international companies:

• Labelling, packaging and advertising requirements for food products including dietary supplements, together with a list of substances prohibited in supplement production and a new liability framework for unsafe or counterfeit products: January 2027
• Legal mechanisms for food business operator registries, product traceability across the supply chain, market surveillance, and crisis management procedures: November 2026
• Phased elimination of mandatory food product certification and introduction of risk-based control for operators and imports: November 2026
• Harmonisation of sanitary, hygiene, veterinary and phytosanitary norms with Codex Alimentarius, WOAH and IPPC: 2026 to 2027
• Laboratory reconstruction and modernisation programme: November 2026, with implementation in 2027
• Mandatory body cameras, tablets and uniforms for inspectors during state control activities: December 2026
• Unified digital platform integrating operator registries, risk management, product recall notifications and customs single window integration: March 2027
• Digitalisation of all laboratory testing processes: February 2027

Digital platform and risk-based enforcement

The unified automated information platform due by March 2027 will incorporate AI-assisted risk management, an electronic notification and recall system for unsafe products, online registration of food business operators, and integration with the customs single window for border control. Risk profiles will be subject to regular review with a mechanism to challenge automated decisions, and the system must not lead to discriminatory or unjustified trade restrictions.

What this means for your business

The two acts do not introduce immediate new compliance obligations for specific products or operators. Their significance lies in the regulatory architecture they establish and the pipeline of changes they initiate. The Committee is now the single point of contact for all food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary matters, replacing a fragmented multi-agency structure.

For companies importing or selling food products, dietary supplements, veterinary medicines, crop protection or agricultural chemistry products in Uzbekistan, the implementation roadmap sets out a dense sequence of new requirements coming into force between November 2026 and early 2027. The labelling, packaging and advertising requirements for dietary supplements and the new liability framework for unsafe products are particularly worth monitoring. The phased elimination of mandatory certification and the shift to risk-based control also have direct operational implications for importers and food business operators. Companies should use the period before these instruments are finalised to review their current compliance posture and engage with the public consultation process when draft regulatory acts are published.