By Kimone Witter
The National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA) is awaiting the result of tests from more than 100 samples of Pan-Caribbean brown sugar that were in the market as the investigation continues into metallic contamination of the product.
Tracey-Ann Elliott, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the NCRA, says the market surveillance and testing are to determine how widespread the contamination is.
An investigation was launched after multiple consumer complaints which led to a nation-wide recall of all Pan-Caribbean Sugar products.
Ms. Elliott explains that, up to April 24, forty-seven samples of sugar were collected and tested.
About 33 per cent were confirmed to have metal fragments.
“Over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, just this weekend, we sent the team out and we collected an additional 117 samples just to get an appreciation as to the extent of the contamination. Those results are not fully yet in, but based on what we have so far and the contamination that we discovered at the factory, we would have issued this recall notice and we would have also indicated to the factory that there are some corrective actions that needs to be put in place in order for the products that they have to come out from detention, because they are currently being detained, as well as to ensure that the population is safe,” she outlined.
Ms. Elliott said a team from the NCRA visited the Westmoreland based factory on Monday to look at the corrective actions that are being undertaken, and their effectiveness.
She said it is still too early to identify the cause of the contamination.
“At this point in time, the NCRA would not necessarily be able to point out where things went wrong or how it went wrong. What we have looked at are the documents, the records of our inspections, which would have indicated that nothing was out of compliance. Our last inspection was conducted in January of this year and their records of calibration of equipment, records of preventative maintenance of equipment were all in place. So we would not be readily able to identify. But what we would ask, what we would direct the company to do is to do their checks, and then of course there are other agencies who would also be a part of the process who would be doing the checking as well,” she advised.
Ms. Elliott said the relevant findings of the multi-agency investigation will be released to the public.
She was speaking Tuesday on TVJ’s Smile Jamaica.