Twenty-three employees from the fresh food department at Massy Stores (St. Lucia) completed training in food safety for supermarket purchasing. The employees underwent six training sessions using HACCP standards.
The course included proper container opening, post-harvest storage of fruits and vegetables, and food safety.
On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, a certification ceremony was held at Massy’s Choc Warehouse, where the participants were recognized for their completion of the training workshop.
In his remarks, Mr. Daniel Lee, Chief of the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia, said the Taiwan Technical Mission’s longstanding relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture dates back to almost two decades. However, he added that the TTM’s programmes have also benefited Saint Lucia’s development in other areas.
“The Mission has been in Saint Lucia and has demonstrated excellent work in our previous collaborative projects — from supporting the health and wellness projects, education and technology projects, agriculture projects, and youth and women economy empowerment projects,” Mr. Lee explained. “We care about the overall development of the people of Saint Lucia. Therefore, our efforts will continue to be reflected through partnerships with various entities such as Massy Stores.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Kemuel Jn. Baptiste, Deputy Director of Agriculture Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, read remarks on behalf on Mr. Barrymore Felicien, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who was unable to attend the event.
“Often, the focus and emphasis is on food production. However, if the food produced is unsafe to consume due to poor handling management practices, then the efforts at increasing food production is meaningless. Therefore, there is absolute value in what training is being offered to you today,” Mr. Jn. Baptiste read.
Mr. Anthony Bristol, Director, Massy Stores (St. Lucia), thanked all the sponsors and participants, noting that the initiative was an important one on many levels. He noted that the initiative crystallizes a milestone partnership by the Ministry of Agriculture in its quest to work with private sector and other stakeholders to bolster Saint Lucia’s food security and safety mechanism.
“It’s about these (stakeholders) coming together to work together for the betterment of our customers by making sure we have quality food, better value food, and more effective stocking of the food — all of which will redound to better performance for our farmers, and, ultimately, a better and stronger farming community and individual households,” said Bristol.
At the certificate ceremony, each participant received a copy of the comprehensive Food Safety Manual which was specifically designed for Massy Stores and serves as an essential point of reference.
The initiative was a collaborative effort among the Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan ICDF, and Massy Stores (St. Lucia), and aims to provide similar training to Massy Stores employees in the south.