BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The first in a series of nine training workshops aimed at improving the international food safety capacity in Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) countries began here on Tuesday.

The workshops are being held under the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and the two-day event here is one of the activities developed under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Project.

The SPS Project, which is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Barbados Delegation of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and its partner agencies, seeks to enable CARIFORUM States to capitalise on international trade opportunities.

At least 60 professionals from the private and public sectors from across the CARIFORUM region are expected to benefit from the food safety training in the HACCP System, under the instruction and guidance of trainers from the Grocery Manufacturers Association Science and Education Foundation (GMA SEF).

“This is an important initiative that the EU is pleased to participate in as it addresses issues of economic diversification, while at the same time contributing to the further development of the region’s agro-processing capacity,” said Katja Svesson, programme manager for regional co-operation and trade at the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

Head of the Barbados Delegation of IICA, Ena Harvey highlighted the critical role of the HACCP Food Safety Training Session, noting that it would “contribute to an improvement in the technical competence of public sector professionals and private sector personnel within the region to meet national, regional and international Food Safety Standards”.

She said at present, many agri-food products originating from the CARIFORUM Region cannot be exported to overseas markets because many companies do not comply with food safety regulations and other SPS standards required for the international export and trade of products.

The HACCP Training Workshop consists of two phases that will be conducted over a nine-month period.

The first phase comprises a three-part ‘Train-the Trainer’ programme directed at 30 public and private sector professionals from the CARIFORUM region.

The second phase, which is scheduled to start in June 2016, comprises Regional HACCP training and the provision of Technical Assistance to private sector companies through the delivery of workshops that will offer training to 60 private sector participants from across the region.

At the end of the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ phase, participants who have successfully completed all aspects of the Programme will receive the internationally recognised International HACCP Alliance certification.