Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), through its Quality Institute, has partnered with The Best Dressed Chicken to strengthen food safety practices across Jamaica’s restaurant sector with a Restaurant Food Safety Excellence programme.

The one-day session, held on Wednesday, at the BSJ’s Quality Institute Training Room, marked the first collaboration of its kind between the institute and a private sector stakeholder to deliver targeted capacity-building for restaurant workers, supervisors and managers.

Developed around the realities of restaurant operations, the programme moved beyond traditional classroom instruction by challenging participants to identify risks, solve problems, and apply food safety controls to situations they encounter in the workplace.

Participants took part in scenarios, demonstrations, discussions, and activities covering food safety hazards, personal hygiene, cross-contamination, receiving and storage, temperature control, cooking, cooling, service, and allergen management.

Manager of Quality Institute Deidre Taylor said the programme reflects its focus on developing training solutions that respond directly to the needs of industry.

“Restaurant food safety happens in real kitchens, under real operational pressures, so this programme was designed to go beyond simply knowing the rules.

We want participants to be able to identify risks, make informed decisions and apply food safety principles confidently in the situations they encounter every day,” Taylor said.

According to Taylor, the collaboration helps ensure that the training remains grounded in the practical needs of restaurant operators.

“Through this partnership with Best Dressed Chicken, we are bringing technical expertise and industry experience together to strengthen food safety practices across Jamaica’s restaurant sector,” added Taylor.

Meanwhile, Avadaugn Sinclair, marketing manager at The Best Dressed Chicken, said the company viewed the initiative as an opportunity to support its restaurant customers in strengthening their operations.

“At The Best Dressed Chicken, we believe that quality and food safety are everyone’s responsibility.

Our restaurant customers play an important role in ensuring that the food we provide reaches consumers safely and at its best.

By sponsoring their participation in this training, we are helping them strengthen their teams and giving them the tools to deliver an even better experience to their customers,” said Sinclair.

Speaking to the wider importance of food safety across the industry, Sinclair noted that strong practices are essential at every stage of the food chain.

“Food safety matters at every stage, from farm to table.

Restaurants have an important role to play in making sure food is handled safely and served at its best.

By strengthening food safety practices across the restaurant sector, we can help protect consumers, reduce waste and build greater confidence in the food we enjoy every day,” she added.

Insights from the inaugural programme will help inform future delivery of restaurant food safety excellence and other industry-responsive initiatives by the Quality Institute.

Through continued collaboration with private sector partners, the BSJ aims to strengthen Jamaica’s food safety culture while helping businesses and professionals build the knowledge and capabilities needed to apply standards and best practices more effectively.