Caribbean exporters urged to strengthen food safety systems

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug. 18, CMC – Food manufacturers from across the region have been encouraged to strengthen food safety methods to achieve a greater level of international market access and trade.

During a two-day workshop here, representatives from across the region were urged to raise their standards.

The sub-regional workshop on “Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Plan Development and Implementation” was attended by private sector participants from Guyana, Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Course Coordinator, Microbiologist Dr. Melinda Hayman said participants at the end of the workshop would leave with an understanding of how to implement a HACCP plan, which is internationally accepted as the best means of ensuring food safety.

The sub-regional HACCP training and the provision of Technical Assistance to Private Sector Companies is the result of one action from the 10th EDF SPS Project ‘Support to the Caribbean Forum of the ACP States in the Implementation of Commitments Undertaken Under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)’.

The SPS Project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Barbados Delegation of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and its partner agencies, seeks to enable CARIFORUM States to capitalize on international trade opportunities.

IICA as lead implementing agency seeks to address gaps and deficiencies in three major areas – legislation, coordination and capacity building.

At the opening of the workshop, the IICA Representative in Trinidad and Tobago, Gregg Rawlins, said the low level of compliance with food safety regulations and other SPS standards presents a challenge for CARIFORUM exporters of agri-food products from achieving a greater level of international market access and trade.

“All countries must comply with SPS Measures in order to successfully export their products to international markets,” he said, adding, “therefore, companies involved in the manufacturing, processing or handling of food products should adopt this system to minimize or eliminate food safety hazards in their product. “

Rawlins said that the Institute had decided to focus on the private sector with a “timely and important” workshop by contracting the Washington D.C.-based Grocery Manufacturers Association Science and Education Foundation (GMA SEF) to build HACCP capacity.

The workshop launched the second phase of that capacity building, which began with training of regional trainers.

The private sector workshop is being conducted by Food Technologists Janelle Yarde-Blackman and Melissa Agbeko who were trained during the first phase of IICA’s efforts to build regional capacity in HACCP.