The National Compliance and Regulatory

Authority (NCRA) says its partnership with local businesses to achieve

conformance to established standards, will result in increased confidence in

Jamaican products.

NCRA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO),

Lorice Edwards Brown, said the regulatory agency expects its work to increase

the marketability of Jamaican products.

“Our mandate is to create confidence in our

consumers to ensure that when they are purchasing products that have applicable

standards and regulations, they are in compliance,” she told JIS News.

The CEO said one of the main priorities of

the NCRA is to monitor and register all pre-packaged-food processing

establishments.

“We ensure that the products meet the requirements that enable access to global markets,” Edwards Brown explained.

In addition, the NCRA is responsible for

inspecting goods at ports of entry and to undertake legal metrology

(verification of the accuracy of weighing and measuring devices).

According to Edwards Brown, the legal

metrology and petroleum inspectorate of the organisation facilitates greater

confidence in Jamaican products.

“When you’re in the supermarket, on the

scales you will see a sticker that is telling you that the scale has been

verified and that the reading of the weights is accurate. This ensures fairness

in trade for the consuming public as pre-packaged goods at retail outlets are

checked against standard samples,” she added.