The Department of Agriculture joins the rest of the globe in commemorating World Food Safety Day.  The day commissioned in 2019 by the United Nations seeks to build awareness and education on matters of the production, management, and handling of all the world’s food sources.

In Saint Lucia what this day comes down to, is proactively providing opportunities to constituents of the agri-food sector to learn and discourse on the myriad of ways to guarantee that the food we consume is safe, thereby redoubling efforts to keep food safety on the public agenda. By doing so, the Department of Agriculture hopes to reduce the number of people who get sick from eating unsafe food. 

Chief Plant Research Officer, at the Plant Research and Development Division, Hannah Romaine says her department continues its mandate of ensuring farmers receive the much-needed support to meet International Food Safety standards.

“I really want to take this opportunity to reach out to our agro-processors ad let them know that we now have onboard a new component to ensure that the food you are processing meets all the standards, the requirements for the markets that they’re destined for. We now have on board a food technologist, very soon we will be bringing in a food safety specialist, and they are there to ensure that they can help you improve your product.”

National Project Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organization School Feeding Program, Cherry Ann Smith has highlighted measures being taken by her organization to enhance food safety in Saint Lucia. She asserts by assisting farmers and with food handling and proper crop management techniques, the School Feeding Program will begin to address the knowledge gaps in food safety awareness and education among all involved in feeding our school-aged children nutritious, safe meals.

“Last year we conducted an assessment of all the school’s kitchen and gardens in Saint Lucia where food safety is concerns. We looked at the kitchens holistically, we looked at storage, water quality amongst other things where food safety is concerned. Also, the FAO, we’re working very hard with the cooks training them in safety and quality. We are also including parents and children in the program because we know our children are very important where food safety is concerned cause you know sometimes they could disregard the whole food safety issue ”

Smith says that the production and consumption of safe food remains a priority for the FAO as they recognize the immediate and long-term benefits for people as well as the economy. The same holds true for the leaders of the agriculture ministry. This year’s World Food Safety Day theme is, “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow.”