European Commission experts have recommended Vanuatu tighten its laws to ensure better food safety.
Doctor Henry Temple says the current law on food safety is far too complicated and needs to be made simpler and more efficient.
He says in a study over the past six weeks, they have found a lack of control on imported foods, with businesses not complying with date and origin requirements.
Dr Temple says while the law allows for prosecution of people for fraud or adulteration of food, this has never been applied.
"So in the Act, 1993 Act it is provided that when someone is cheating with food or poisoning people, he should be prosecuted and maybe sometimes go to jail. This never happened."
Dr Henry Temple.
The team also says poor quality foreign food is to blame for the surge in non-communicable diseases in Vanuatu.
