MNIB to address food spoilage and receive HACCP certification

by Curlan Campbell

• Grenada Bureau of Standards has approved its National Quality Policy (NQP)
• MNIB will receive 3 refrigerated trucks
• MNIB will receive support towards receiving HACCP certification

There is a need to introduce preventive measures to address food spoilage at all stages of the food production and distribution chain.

This becomes imperative to ensure that Grenada can access markets outside the region especially in countries within the European Union (EU). It is in this regard that the Grenada Marketing and National Importing Board (MNIB) is set to benefit from financial assistance from the EU EPA and CSME Standby Facility, as part of the Agri-Food Sector Development & Strengthening of the National Food Safety System.

The two-year EUR 236,070 project launched in Grenada on 29 September 2021, will strengthen the capacity of the MNIB.

Through the Grenada Bureau of Standards, the project’s implementing agency, the MNIB will receive 3 refrigerated trucks, training post-harvest and handling techniques and support towards receiving their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP) certification which is an international standard defining the requirements for effective control of food safety.

During the launch of the project in September, Ambassador David Prendergast, Director, Caricom Single Market and Sectoral Programmes at the Caricom Secretariat, reiterated the project’s potential to contribute towards building economic resilience, “market access and trade, especially under the Economic Partnership Agreement, are fundamental to the growth and expansion of trading relations between CARIFORUM and the EU.”

Ambassador Prendergast also reminded governments of the commitment to reduce its US$5 billion food import bill by 25% in the next five years, as it implements its food and nutrition programmes, a challenge put out to Caricom Heads of governments.

On 25 November 2021, Her Excellency Malgorzata Wasilewska Head, Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and Caricom/Cariforum visited Grenada and toured the MNIB’S packing house facility in River Road and held engagements with officials of both the MNIB and the Grenada Bureau of Standards.

“It makes us realise how good of a contribution this is. It’s one of the particular projects that we are proud of because it shows that the economic partnership agreement can deliver very good results for the country, for the people of this country but also for exports. So now what I look forward to is being able to have continued conversations with colleagues here as well as the ambassador in Brussels to make sure that some of your wonderful products meet the standards can now reach the European market.”

Director of the Grenada Bureau of Standards Robert Medford said it is crucial at this time that Grenada’s agro-processors and exporters meet the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures to expand their export markets into the EU. Medford is therefore urging manufacturers to take the next step to export regionally and internationally

“We don’t have a heavy presence in the EU market, so we are now looking to access the EU markets and also have market presence. The project will enhance the whole issues of quality assurance to support the agri-food sector value chain. We have to ensure the products that we produce are safe for consumption and that they meet the national requirements. For example, the national labelling requirement which is mandatory and what we want to see is that our manufacturers or agro-processors take that next step. Yes, we can supply local but let’s think about taking the next step going regional and internationally, going into Europe and getting our products there.”

MNIB’s Chief Executive Officer Afia Joseph underscored the need for refrigerated trucks to enhance output quality and minimise loss and wastage. “One thing that the Marketing and National Importing Board does not have is refrigeration for produce while transportation is in place and that affects the quality of the products that we can deliver to an export market, so once we receive these trucks will help us to preserve the fresh produce that we export.”

Joseph said the ability to access produce from farmers will be solved through this initiative. “I think that will be easy for farmers as they now have that resource available to them. We also look forward to being able to provide more support to exporters. We all know that we are dealing with the common challenge of a lot of spoilage with export produce either through issues such as flight delays and not having the suitable refrigeration for it, so we look forward to lending that supports to other exporters on the island.”

Meanwhile Grenada Bureau of Standards has approved its National Quality Policy (NQP) through the programme ‘Strengthening of the Regional Quality Infrastructure’ programme.

A Quality Policy is the legal instrument used by governments to sustain sustaining economic development through an effective quality infrastructure, which relies on metrology, standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment and market surveillance.

The programme is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and implemented by the Caricom Regional Organisation for Standards & Quality (CROSQ) with one of its components being the development of national quality policies in Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda and Suriname.