The Tribune

BY KEILE CAMPBELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A THREE-DAY course began yesterday aiming towards improving food safety in The Bahamas.

THE Ministry of Agriculture facilitated the course at the British Colonial Hilton, with Agriculture Minister Jomo Campbell emphasising the importance of the training for both domestic food safety and international export opportunities. He said the course was designed to meet FDA requirements for processed food import certification, potentially opening up new markets for Bahamian food products in the US.

“Food safety is not just a regulatory requirement, it is a fundamental aspect of public health and community welfare,” he said. “Our food supply is one of the most critical components of our society. It supports our economy, sustains our families, and fosters our way of life.”

Mr Campbell highlighted challenges such as logistical issues due to the country’s archipelagic nature and the heavy reliance on imported food. He stressed this training was part of a broader initiative to create more economic opportunities for Bahamian agribusinesses and decrease the country’s agricultural trade imbalance.

“With over 700 islands and cays, transporting food safely and efficiently can be a logistical challenge. This can lead to longer shipping times and potential spoilage or contamination of perish- able goods,” he added.

“Many small-scale and local producers may lack access to the necessary resources such as funds, training and technology to implement effective food safety measures and

comply with standards. “Additionally, The Bahamas largely relies on imported food products – something that we are working diligently to change.”

Participants included producers, processors, quality assurance professionals, and regulatory inspectors, with the course said to cover a wide range of topics, from hazard analysis and preventative controls determination to hygienic zoning and environmental monitoring.

Mari Dunleavy, an official representative from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), said the workshop represents a standardised curriculum recognised by the FDA to meet food safety requirements, which are also mandated by many hotels in The Bahamas, with a qualification on completion.