Get your house in order, Bureau of Standards tells exporters

Businesses involved in the export of fresh produce and processed food are being encouraged to take the necessary steps to comply with the United States Food Safety Modernisation Act.

The Food Safety Modernisation Act is an amendment of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and was signed into law on January 4, 2011 by President Obama. The act provides a legislative mandate to require science-based preventive controls across the food supply chain rather than a reactive approach to food-safety problems.

Exporters who do not comply with the new act, could face costly penalties, Beverley Miller, coordinator - Food Safety Modernisation Secretariat, Bureau of Standards Jamaica, has said. Miller was addressing members of the shipping industry at the Shipping Association of Jamaica's Lunch and Learn Seminar last week. The seminar was sponsored by Jamaica Freight and Shipping and Gateway Shipping International.

According to Miller, the act poses several challenges for the export market as it relates to primary producers, fresh-produce exporters and food processors. The main challenges facing these exporters, she said, are financing for upgrades and the lack of trained personnel. Some facilities, she added, are very old and were not constructed for their current usage, which does not lend to appropriate cleaning and maintenance.

Jamaica, she said, has responded by establishing a multi-stakeholder national task force to drive the process of ensuring that the country is prepared to satisfy the requirements as stated in the Act.

"It is our responsibility to identify the needs of Jamaica's regulatory machinery in order to fulfil its role and strengthen collaboration with US food-safety agencies as well as to assist in the sourcing of funds to enable both public and private sectors to upgrade to the required level," Miller said. Already, the EXIM Bank has made available a loan facility of $100 million to facilitate export to the USA.

Inspections have started

She noted that a team of inspectors from the USFDA, along with local inspectors, has already carried out inspections of some firms in the island.

She emphasised that while the new Act may seem daunting, there are positives to be gained from compliance: greater acceptance of Jamaican food globally and increased foreign exchange earnings. However, failure to comply can result in food exports being denied entry into the US and a dramatic fall-out for food export earnings.

Miller noted that sensitisation seminars will continue to be held with stakeholders to further apprise them of implementation progress relating to regulations under the act. She noted that shipping interests - agents, truckers and terminals - will be included as soon as pertinent regulations are promulgated.

Jamaica Freight and Shipping is a full-service shipping agency representing major container lines, tramp vessels and non-vessel operating common carriers. The company also provides port agency services, as well as stevedoring services, equipment rental services, charter broking services, protection and indemnity club representation and dry-docking services, through its various subsidiary and associated companies.

Gateway Shipping International Limited is one of Jamaica's leading companies in port and agency services. The company represents: cruise lines, motor-vehicle carriers, container carriers, tramp-ship operators and non-vessel operating common carriers.

Caption: Beverley Miller (centre), coordinator, Food Safety Modernisation Secretariat, Bureau of Standards Jamaica, shares a moment with sponsors of the Shipping Association of Jamaica's Lunch and Learn Seminar, Christine Johnston (left), marketing manager, Jamaica Freight and Shipping Limited and Loxley Tulloch, manager, Gateway Shipping International Limited. The seminar was held on Tuesday, February 28 and focused on the topic - The US Food Safety Modernisation Act.