NCBJ launches Food Safety Management System

NCBJ launches Food Safety Management System
In an effort to strengthen and support Jamaica’s food industry, the National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ), an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, has launched the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System, which is geared toward improving standards and safety and giving the assurance that our food will not cause an adverse health effect for the consuming public.
Speaking at the virtual launch of the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Standard at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices on Tuesday, November 17, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Audley Shaw, said, “the launch of this standard marks another strategic step by the NCBJ to galvanize the potential of our local producers toward improving their export capacity as well as fortifies our ability as a country to protect our citizens while improving our position in the global marketplace”.

Minister Shaw commended the NCBJ on the work that it has been doing over the years.

“I must applaud the work of the NCBJ as it seeks to live up to its mandate of providing management systems and playing its part in bolstering the growth of our economy through its support of local businesses,” Minister Shaw said.

Minister Shaw said that despite the advances that have been made in food manufacturing and production, food safety is still a significant concern. He informed that the 2018 World Bank Report on the economic burden of foodborne diseases indicates that total productivity loss associated with foodborne disease in low and middle-income countries was estimated at US$ 95.2 Billion per year with the annual cost of treating these illnesses estimated at US$ 15 Billion.

“I am pleased to note that the benefits of this standard being launched today will position our producers to be able to: reduce incidents of food safety breaches and the associated costs; establish consistency in providing food-related products and services that are safe and meet regulatory requirements; and improve consumer, supplier, regulator confidence and relationships, among others,” he said.

For her part, Manager, National Certification Body of Jamaica, Navenia Wellington Ford, said that through the NCBJ’s certification services clients are able to compete on a global platform.

She informed that “the agency offers a suite of services that is able to meet the needs of the service and manufacturing industries, also the agriculture sector. Through accreditation we are able to have international recognition, and any certification that we issue has acceptability worldwide. As our slogan says, NCBJ certified locally, compete globally”.

The National Certification Body of Jamaica is an accredited third party certification body playing an integral role in the National Quality Infrastructure of Jamaica.

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