Food safety was the agenda item when various stakeholders met during a consultation session earlier this month.
Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Export St. Lucia, Hotel and Tourism Association, Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, were some of the stakeholders reviewing legislation on St Lucia’s imports and exports.
The session is set to be one of many to come, as St. Lucia looks forward to strengthening its food safety bill.
The consultative session focused on food safety legislation, informing and directing policy and strengthening food safety systems.
Strengthening food safety systems not only protects our imported foods, but also assures quality export standards.
Chief Environmental Health Officer, Parker Ragnanan spoke of a developing food industry needing policy reform to keep up with standards.
“All of us consume food. And all of us should be excited that St. Lucia is really looking at its system to ensure that we protect our consumers against food fraud, against contaminated foods and to ensure that what is being presented on the table is actually safe for consumption and would not cause any harmful health,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Jenny Daniel spoke of a nation’s health being highly dependent on the foods consumed.
“The strategic objective or strengthening and improving the national health profile can only be attained with a thorough examination of the nutritional composition of the population’s diet. Intricately linked to this is a need to review our food sources and to delve into the origins and quality aspects of our food which overarchingly includes the broad spectrum leading from the farm to the table,” Daniel said.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George considers the review a timely venture, as the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs continues to register increases in unsafe food products.
“The Ministry of Health has recognized the limitations in food safety regulations over the years, as the current regulations do not address significant components of regulating the food industry. Notably, there are no provisions in place to mandate food safety principals such as hazard analysis, critical control points, national food safety standards, food traceability, recalls, import and export requirements,” the CMO noted.
She added that while current issues are being dealt with as they arise, the bill will assist with structure. The Food Safety Bill Stakeholders Consultation was the first of many consultations ahead of implementation.
St. Lucia is joining CARICOM in ensuring the necessary focus be placed on food safety.