Letter of the Day | Label all food products, the State no exception
Published:Tuesday | April 10, 2018 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Some years ago, there was a brand of toilet paper that was causing infections to persons using it. The Government removed the product from the locations it was being sold (they say), and decided that the general Jamaican public should not to be told of the brand, giving the impression that the Government is protecting the supplier instead of the citizens who elected them.
Now the head of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica is telling us that the products made, packaged and distributed for sale by the Government (Nutrition Products Limited) do not need labelling because they are created in a closed system, and I guess that because the Government is the one producing it, the public must take their word for it that the ingredients are safe for consumption.
FAULTY ASsUMPTION
This is a faulty assumption, since I, like most Jamaicans, have no faith in the Government's ability to safeguard anyone's health. To demonstrate my point, all members of parliament are provided with health insurance that provides them an air ambulance to go overseas for healthcare, and healthcare when they get there. Why don't they go to Jamaican hospitals when they fall ill or get injured?
That fact lets me know how much faith they have in the Jamaican health system, which is kept moving by the dedicated doctors, nurses and ancillary staff in spite of the Jamaican Government. I give thanks for those health workers every day.
I believe that education must be a top priority in Jamaica, because an educated public would not stand for a government withholding information from us, especially when it comes to matters affecting health, including labelled food products. It is disconcerting to rely on politicians telling us only what they think we should know.
We elect government to advise us, good news or bad, so that we can make appropriate decisions. I hope that the day will come soon when we, the people, will have a government that truly represents us all, and looks out for our interests, and not only political party loyalists and family members.
I strongly recommend to the head of the Bureau of Standards that all food products be labelled to indicate the ingredients and quantities, just in case there are ingredients that may cause allergies. This is true especially for Government, which should be setting the example of providing information relating to our well-being, especially what we consume.
HUGH DUNBAR