This Law consisting of 83 articles divided into VIII Chapters aims at (i) protecting the rights of the consumer; (ii) ensuring the safety of food; (iii) preventing monopoly through setting regulations for trade practicing, pricing, imposing censorship on the quality of goods and products. It also tightens penalties and fines on monopoly, selling without an invoice, not announcing prices, and manipulating with weight, as well as selling at increasing prices. Article 3 lists the consumers' rights as follows (i) obtaining the product according to its intended purpose; (ii) health and safety when using or consuming the products provided to him; (iii) knowing the price and all correct information and data about the products; (iv) the freedom to choose the products that meet the quality in conformity with the specifications and the price specified for them; (v) obtaining an invoice proving that he acquired the product; (vi) decent treatment and respect for community customs and traditions; (vii) submit a complaint about the violations stipulated in this Legislative Decree. Article 4 specifies cases in which it is possible or not, to replace or return the products. Article 8 prohibits the supplier to possess or sell any products of unknown origin or spoiled materials. To achieve the objectives of this Legislative Decree, the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection shall assume the following powers (i) take the measures to prevent monopoly and tampering with prices of the products; (ii) determine the price, without prejudice to the supplier's right to reduce the price in the interest of the consumer; (iii) oblige the importer to submit customs declarations and all documents required by the ministry; (iv) oblige the importer, producer, and wholesaler to submit a declaration on the basic materials and commodities that he possesses or trades, and these permits are exempt from the stamp duty; (v) monitoring compliance with the advertisement of prices on adherence to economic rules related to legitimate competition, in a manner that secures the consumer s freedom of choice (art.11).
As for food quality measures, article 31 states that (i) the Ministry has the power to (i) prohibit manufacturing products with a specific name that contradicts the elements that must be included in their composition, or selling such products or offering them for sale or placing data on them that do not match the truth; (ii) impose a certain minimum or limit of the elements included in the materials used in human or animal food or in the materials prepared for sale in a specific name; (iii) impose or regulate the use of utensils, containers, or other things in the preparation of foodstuffs and others, in their manufacture, weighing, packing, preservation, distribution, transportation, display, offering for sale or sale; (iv) statement of the conditions for the consumption of materials, products, or commodities, their name, preservation, and possession, and a statement of the cases in which they are not suitable for consumption, and it may impose conditions on the use or sale of the products, and indicate the manner in which the data are written or how the records and books are organized or certificates are given and approved.
The Law also establishes that traders across the supply chain from importers to merchants are expected to maintain all documents pertaining to their commercial transactions, including but not limited to invoices, import licenses and customs declarations. Samples of goods may be subject to laboratory analysis.