NCRA taking greater steps to ensure consumer safety
The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) said that it acknowledges the publication of two articles by The Jamaica Gleaner on December 8 and 13, addressing the presence of expired, damaged and soon to be expired food items on the shelves of supermarkets in the Corporate Area and St Catherine.
“In line with our mandate,” the NCRA said in a statement, “our dedicated cohort of NCRA inspectors conduct more than 900 checks of establishments per quarter to ensure compliance with all relevant local and international standards. As with all systems, however, there is room for improvement, which is why we welcome the input of members of the public when they bring attention to previously undiscovered violations.”
Founded in 2015, the NCRA was established as an offshoot of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) to create a separation between the development and regulation of standards. The organisation is responsible for registering pre-packaged food establishments, importers and local manufacturers of goods for which compulsory standards exist, including block manufacturers; inspecting goods at the ports of entry and in the domestic market; as well as undertaking responsibility for the verification of weighing and measuring devices used in trade and conducting petrol sampling. Compliance activities and the execution of enforcement actions also fall within the remit of the NCRA.
“The NCRA takes its role in the preservation of the health and well-being of all Jamaican citizens very seriously,” the organisation continued, “which is why we are currently undertaking several structural and capacity-building reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of how we carry out our core responsibilities. These improvements include a significant expansion of our team of competent inspectors; an increase in the number of inspections carried out at establishments per quarter; greater coordination with related entities including the BSJ, Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Public Health Department; and greater public education efforts to equip Jamaicans with the knowledge to help protect their interests when purchasing products.”
NCRA CEO Lorice Edwards Brown noted: “Since its founding, the NCRA has diligently worked towards ensuring that the products bought and consumed by the Jamaican public conform to all established standards, both those created locally and the international standards to which Jamaica subscribes. However, given the rapid pace of expansion of retail and wholesale commerce locally, we have faced some challenges in regulating the constantly expanding number of establishments. Additionally, there are many instances in which these establishments seemingly comply with our directives, only to revert to unacceptable practices after inspection. This is why we have and continue to make improvements to our operations to ensure that our services meet the demands of Jamaica’s current commercial climate.
The NCRA is also calling on the public to play a part in protecting their interests by being vigilant and observant when shopping. Consumers are urged to make note of labels, especially the expiry date, and appearance of products and make a complaint to the NCRA when establishments do not comply with the standards.
In addition to ramping up its operational and enforcement activities, the NCRA will also embark on a comprehensive public education campaign in 2020 to expand awareness among Jamaican consumers and retailers about existing standards.