Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division

The role of the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID) is to carryout the Government’s programme of surveillance and regulation of the food industry. Its core mandate surrounds the safety and wholesomeness of all food and feed entering commerce in Jamaica.

The FSPID achieves its mandate by conducting regulatory inspection of food at ports of entry (including ships) and any food storage, manufacturing and retailing facility to ensure that food is safe and that food areas are suitable for food storage. Its inspectors are also authorized under the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Act to enter any place where food is kept for sale, stored or manufactured and examine, inspect, sample for laboratory analysis, tag, seize, detain and destroy such food if deemed necessary. Additionally, FSPID inspectors may give directions necessary to mitigate or prevent infestation in food areas.

The FSPID Laboratories namely Entomology, Rodent Biology and Control, Microbiology, and Pesticide Residue/Mycotoxin conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses of food for insects, insect fragments, extraneous matter, rodent contamination and species identification, microbial contamination, pesticide residue and mycotoxins. The Division also boasts a Post-harvest Technology Unit, whose main objective is to reduce postharvest loss of perishable commodities entering commerce and a Training and Information Unit to provide training and information in integrated pest management, fumigation, pesticide usage, food storage, handling and transportation.

The FSPID also conducts disinfestation services via fumigation, spraying, misting, fogging and rodent baiting. Its offices are located in Kingston and Montego Bay.