| Fear of bio-terrorism has forced the United States of America (USA) to sign into law a Food and Safety Modernisation Act. This Act was designed to change the way the US conducts trade with other countries, Guyana being no exception.The Act was assented to by President Barack Obama, on January 4, 2011. It is aimed at ensuring that the US food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it altogether.This is according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which has described the Act as “the most sweeping reform of our food and safety laws in more than 70 years…”Based on the requirements of the Act, the US is likely to start sending its own inspectors to examine the operations of the companies, in the respective countries,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, with which it engages in trade interactions.It was against this background that the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, with the support of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), spearheaded a training workshop. The forum at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown, commenced on Monday and is slated to culminate tomorrow.Facilitators raised awareness about the New Food Legislation and other related issues, including Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology, among others that fall under the purview of the Food and Drug Department.Speaking of the legislation, yesterday, Food and Drug Director,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, Marlan Cole, explained, “What has happened because of bio-terrorism, the US has upgraded its food and drug laws…This is because people can produce a food product in a factory and lace it with cyanide or some poisonous substance and send it to the US and that can kill a lot of people. They are seeking to guard against things like this.”He disclosed that the US is now demanding that “anything coming into their country will require that they (US inspectors) visit the factories themselves, look at their records and every aspect of their operations before they can be allowed to ship anything there.”The Act is currently not fully in effect as,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, according to Cole, he is not aware that any US inspector (or inspecting team) has been dispatched to Guyana.Among the flagship exporters that are likely to be the main targets of the US, based on the guidelines of the Act,Cheap Jerseys China, are established companies such the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Banks DIH and Beharry Group of Companies,Discount NFL Jerseys, Cole intimated.This, however, does not mean that small to medium-sized operations will not be impacted, asserted the Food and Drug Director. He said that already attempts by several small scale food producers to export to the US have been halted by the FDA. This has been due especially to factors such as unacceptable packaging and labelling or the lack thereof.Although the Act is not fully enforced, Cole anticipates that it will be by next year, at which point inspections conducted by US officials, might commence.“In the interim the onus will be on the Food and Drug Department to sensitise all of the companies of the relevant requirements based on the (US) Act…This is something that is definitely coming and it will affect the way trade is done,” stressed Cole.He added that “the US FDA might very well send their inspectors to the Caribbean soon and we are hoping that when that time comes we would have already done our part in terms of our own inspection to ensure that they are up to speed…”Even as Guyana awaits the inevitable enforcement of the Act,Sale NFL Jerseys, Cole said that the Food and Drug Department is tasked with ensuring that all necessary measures are in place to meet the necessary requirements.It is expected that the officers who attended the forum will tasked with raising awareness among the companies already exporting to the US or are desirous of doing so.But according to Cole, “most if not all companies are aware of this…but we are obligated to raise awareness because apart from protecting the consumers we are responsible for facilitating trade in the interest of our country.” |
