Project to ensure food safety begins

THE PESTICIDES Control Authority (PCA) and the Ministries of Industry, Commerce and Technology and Agriculture have begun working on an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded project aimed at ensuring food safety in Jamaica.

According to Registrar of the PCA, Hyacinth Chin-Sue, the authority is renewing its efforts to protect Jamaicans from the adverse effect of pesticides.

Other plans include the enforcement of the laws requiring users of pesticides to become certified and as part of those plans, the PCA will begin certifying pest control operators, starting the end of this month.

Mrs. Chin-Sue said that in order to get certified, pest control operators would now be required to pass an exam and have at least six months experience in the field.

Licences

Persons operating pest control businesses will also need licences which are expected to be issued after inspection and approval of their facilities by the PCA. The business owners must also have limited liability insurance in keeping with the requirements of the Superinten-dent of Insurance.

Mrs. Chin-Sue emphasised that a licence did not permit the business owner to apply pesticides. "If the licensee wants to apply pesticides, he or she must also pass the exam set by the PCA", she explains. The licensee must employ certified persons to apply pesticides.

The PCA Registrar noted that there were many pesticides that had harmful effects on people and the environment. She said the PCA's role was to monitor chemicals coming into the country to make sure they were safe.

Mrs. Chin-Sue mentioned that the PCA had a list of approved pesticides which potential importers were advised to check before they began importing the products. "Any pesticide, which is imported and is not on the approved list, will not be allowed into the country, as the PCA works closely with customs to ensure that harmful pesticides do not enter Jamaica," she said.

In addition, Mrs. Chin-Sue said that the PCA was encouraging alternative means of controlling pests and suggested the use of chemical as the last resort.

"Other means can be used to control pests, that do not involve the use of chemicals," she said, "we see this in the State were consumers prefer organic foods."

Back to News