OUTGOING chairman of the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Co-ordinating Committee, Peter Knight, has said there is strong support for a single National Food Safety Agency (NFSA) which is expected to be formed in 2005.

The establishment, he said, would see the merging of food regulation entities that now fall under the ministries of agriculture, health, and science and technology.
"I don't know what sort of structure is going to be decided on, but the establishment of an agency wouldn't mean that we are closing down the other two ministries," Knight told the Observer at a symposium Friday at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.

He explained: "It would have a central area that develops such things as the strategic plans and strategic staff issues. It would also farm out different activities to the different ministries but then those activities would be monitored and controlled by the agency."
The National Food Agency would form part of National Quality Infrastructure Project which was set up by the government in 2001 to adapt the National Quality Infrastructure to new international standards as deemed by the World Trade Organisation.

Knight pointed out that such a move would also bring Jamaica in line with other countries.
"If you look at other countries you see they are moving towards the establishment of integrating food safety activities," he told the Observer.
Aspects of similar models in Europe, Canada and Belize were shared with the participants through presentations from representatives of the respective countries at Friday's symposium.

According to Knight, a 'strategic action plan' for the formation of the agency is currently in its fifth phase, where the committee is seeking a consultant to define the soon-to-be-formed agency's "scope and mission". He said already the committee has, among other things, identified gaps and overlaps in the existing food safety programmes and established mechanism to ensure inter-agency collaboration and co-operation.
But before the NFSA is formed, a number of other processes are involved, Knight said.

These include seeking Cabinet's approval to draft and finalise legislation for establishing the agency as well as seeking the finance ministry's approval for organisational structure and classification of posts.
These, he said, will be carried out over the next two years.
"A number of processes are involved, but if we get through all of them at the times specified the NFSA will be established in 2005," he said.

Meanwhile, director of policy planning and research in the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology, Reginald Budhan, stressed on the importance of food safety, amid the island's importation of large quantities of fresh and processed foods.
"[We] need to ensure that we keep abreast of this and all other food safety issues so as to be fully informed about the dangers or benefits as the case may be," he told the participants at the symposium. "In such a dynamic and challenging environment then, it is essential that an appropriate police/legislative framework be in place, supported by institutional arrangements which will ensure that policy/legislation translate into action."

State minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Errol Ennis, described the move as a "timely" one considering the extent of the country's dependence on compliance with food and safety regulations.
"It will ensure the delivery of healthy products for both the local and export markets," he said.
Meanwhile, chief medical officer at the Ministry of Health, Dr Barry Wint, urged the formation of an agency "that is technically sound and financially sustainable".

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