Food Safety and Quality Unit
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Food Safety and Quality Unit

Objectives

The objectives of the Food Safety and Quality Unit are:

  • to regulate food safety and quality at every stage of the food chain;
  • to regulate all food, including fish and meat; and
  • generally, to protect human health, and consumer interests, including fair practices in trade.
  • In order to achieve these objectives, food safety and quality shall be based on risk assessment, which is based on the available scientific evidence, undertaken in an independent, objective and
  • transparent manner.
  • Where relevant scientific evidence is insufficient, food safety measures may be adopted on the basis of available pertinent information, including information from relevant international organizations.

Local Collaborating Agencies

  • The Ministry of Health
    • The Surveillance Unit
    • The Nutrition Unit
    • The desk of the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)
    • The Food Handler's Unit
  • The Department of Environmental Health Services
    • Food Inspectors
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources
    • The Department of Marine Resources (DOMR)
    • The Department of Agriculture (DOA)
  • The Customs Department
  • The Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality (BBSQ)
    • The Food and Food Products Technical Committee
  • The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation
  • The Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Sciences Institute

Regional Collaborating Agencies

  • The CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)
  • The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
  • The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)
  • The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA)

International Collaborating Agencies

  • WHO/FAO joint Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • World Health Organization
    • The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) - regional arm

Keep Food Safe

Keep Food Safe is an advocacy organization that support individuals who have fallen ill due to contaminated food. Recognizing that foodborne illnesses can lead to severe consequences, including hospitalization, they are committed to educating the public on current food outbreaks and promoting safe practices for both food service companies and consumers. By proactively addressing outbreaks and fostering awareness, Keep Food Safe aims to maintain trust in the food we consume. Check out their advocacy site below:

Keep Food Safe - Keepfoodsafe.org

International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021 Background Paper: Fruits and Vegetables-Your Dietary Essentials.

"In declaring 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly aims to raise awareness of the nutritional and health benefits of fruit and vegetables and their contribution to a balanced and healthy diet and lifestyle. It also hopes to draw attention to the need to reduce losses and waste in the fruit and vegetable sector (UN, 2020) while delivering better on environmental outcomes." Visit http://www.fao.org/3/cb2395en/CB2395EN.pdf to learn more.

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