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CARIBBEAN WORKSHOP ON COORDINATED FOOD STANDARD SETTING

Training

Participant: Tandeka Barton – Principal Analytical Scientific Officer (GA-FDD)

The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and the Suriname Agricultural Market Access Project (SAMAP) hosted a three day workshop from July 23-25, 2019 in Paramaribo, Suriname at the Ramada Paramaribo Princess Hotel.

Caribbean Food Regulators benefitted from presentations reviewing Food Safety Standard Setting priorities in the region and facilitated discussions to identify initial priority areas of collaboration, along with the mechanism to be pursued under the leadership of CAHFSA to implement and monitor progress of collaborative projects.

Workshop Objectives:

1. To convene discussions amongst leaders of Food Safety competent authorities from the Caribbean region, under the leadership of CAHFSA, to identify: common Food Safety Standard Setting priorities, possible harmonization for Food Safety measures, and opportunities to leverage collaborative efforts towards the creation of networks of food Safety risk analysis experts.

      *To discuss and possibly agree on a recommended on-going structure for food safety standards development and harmonization at the regional level, facilitated by CAHFSA and endorsed by CARICOM.

      *To agree on initial priorities for collaborative work in food safety standard setting at the regional level.

2. To enable engagement between senior food safety regulators of the Caribbean region with representatives of the food/agri-food sector at the regional level to discuss priorities of food safety standard setting, needs associated with strengthening the food control system and impediments to market access (including intra-regional market access) that may be alleviated through enhanced coordination of food safety standards development.

 

Agenda Summary:

Day 1 and 2 – Caribbean Food Regulatory Forum

Day 1 addressed:

Setting the Stage for Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation in the Caribbean Region
Identifying Common Food Safety Challenges and Priorities for Interventions
Documenting the “Identification of Common Food Safety Challenges and Priorities of Interventions.

Day 2: culminated the discussions of Day 1 by:

Proposing a mechanism of Food Safety Standards Coordination;
Providing a Common Food Safety (Standards) Action Plan for the Caribbean Region; and
Providing a draft Terms of Reference of the Caribbean Taskforce on Food Safety (CTFS)

Day 3 was dedicated to Regulators/Industry Engagement

This part of the workshop enabled direct exchange between regulators and representatives of the food/agri-food industry in discussing the challenges in operating, producing and trading products within the region or from the region to export markets.

  • The food production sector was updated on Regional Food Safety coordination efforts and the proposed Regulators/Industry engagement mechanisms. A facilitated discussion between regulators and the food production sector (industry) concluded with a proposed approach to sustain regular engagement between regulators and the food industry sector at the Caribbean level.