Voices Magazine Vol3 Issue 2

7 August - September 2019 | VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica F or the first time, Jamaica now has the capacity for comprehensive analysis of the sugar, salt and fat content of commonly consumed food products on the market, following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) among the University of Technology, Jamaica, the Ministry of Health & Wellness, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ). The historic MoA was officially signed at a ceremony on August 27, 2019 at the Spanish Court Hotel. The Agreement follows from the upgrading of laboratories at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and the Scientific Research Council (SRC), to conduct these tests. The upgrade of the SRC and BSJ laboratories is part of a four-year Can$4 million project, titled, ‘Improving Household Nutrition Security and Public Health in CARICOM’. Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton said the historically significant initiative will assist the Government in its drive to reduce the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which he says is one of the greatest public health threats. He noted that studies reveal that one in three Jamaicans has hypertension; one in eight is diabetic; and one in two is overweight or obese, and as a consequence, seven of every 10 deaths are linked to this NCD epidemic. The upgrade of the SRC and BSJ labs will therefore provide baseline information on the concentrations of these ingredients in food products, which will enable the Government to establish evidence-based national guidelines, standards and regulations for these ingredients, to ensure that more healthy food options are available for consumption by the public. The University ofTechnology,Jamaica facilitated the procurement,installation and training that were required for the operation of these laboratories, and will continue to play a major role in the research process, including identifying factors affecting communities vulnerable to food insecurity and executing 15 intervention projects to learn transferrable lessons on poverty alleviation and improvement in public health. UTech, Ja. Partners with GoJ for Upgraded Food Products Analysis Labs Participating in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement which formalises collaboration to carry out tests on specific food ingredients at the upgraded laboratories of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BS)J, from left (seated) are Professor Stephen Vasciannie, President, UTech, Jamaica, Hopeton Heron, Executive Director, BSJ, Dr. Charah Watson, Manager, Product Research and Development, SRC. Standing (from left) are Professor Fitzroy Henry, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, UTech, Jamaica, Professor Alafia Samuels of the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Caribbean Institute for Health Research, University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados,. Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness ,UTech, Jamaica and Marlene Salmon, Management Accountant, UTech, Ja. Cont’d on page 8