World Food Safety Day 2020

The second World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2020 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. Food Safety refers to food whether raw or cooked that must be handled, prepared and stored in a way to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from foodborne illnesses. The principles of food safety aim to prevent food from becoming contaminated and causing food poisoning.

Why Do We Need World Food Safety Day? - video

Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. Under the theme “Food safety, everyone’s business”, everyone has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and will not cause damages to our health; All are called to take action.

1. Policy Makers and Regulators - Ensure it’s safe - Government must ensure safe and nutritious food for all

2. Farmers - Grow it safe - Agriculture and food producers need to adopt good agriculture practices

3. Importers, Processors, Sellers, Exporters - Keep it safe - Business operators must make sure food is safe

4. Consumers - Eat it safe: All consumers have a right to safe, healthy and nutritious food - Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill.

5. Inspectors, Laboratory, Food vendors, Consumers - Team up for safety – Food Safety is a shared responsibility

Food Safety is the absence... or lower levels that are acceptable to be safe… of hazards found in the food we eat, that may make us ill; this is called Foodborne illness. The things that makes our food harmful to us is called Foodborne hazards which can be microbiological, chemical or physical in nature and are often invisible to the plain eye: bacteria, viruses or pesticide residues are some examples. A critical part of healthy eating is keeping foods safe. Individuals in their own homes can reduce contaminants and keep food safe to eat by following safe food handling practices. Five basic food safety principles work together to reduce the risk of foodborne illness — Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill and Use safe water and raw materials.

Five Keys to Safer Foods- click for more details

#WorldFoodSafetyDay- Rinse produce
Rinse fresh vegetables and fruits under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking. Even if you plan to peel or cut the produce before eating, it is important to thoroughly rinse with soap and water to prevent microbes from transferring from the outside to the inside of the produce.

WHO Statement on WFSD 2020-video Antimicrobial Resistance -video Good Agricultural Practices -video Food Safety Puzzle

The Ministry

Welcome to the official website of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce.

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is described as Jamaica's "Business Ministry." It's mandate is to lead the development of policies that will create growth and jobs, while achieving social inclusion and consumer protection. The Ministry, working its stakeholders is primarily responsible for business policy development, monitoring and evaluation, while giving direction and oversight to a cluster of implementing departments and agencies.

We have, therefore, placed much energy and enthusiasm into the development of this website to provide timely information on the Ministry, our agencies and programmes.