The Dominica Bureau of Standards, the Environmental Health Department, Invest Dominica Authority (IDA) in association with the AID Bank has embarked on a programme aimed at enhancing quality management and labeling of locally produced pre-packaged baked products in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
The programme provides assistance to bakeries on the island for them to become compliant with operational, labeling and production standards to enable them to be better prepared to meet the demands of domestic, regional and international consumers.
One of the main aims of the collaborative efforts of the Agencies and the bakers is the implementation of a project, which seeks to ensure food safety and quality through the adoption of best practices, adherence to food safety guidelines improved technology in bread production and the labeling of pre-packaged breads and related pastry products. Additionally, the project will serve to heighten public awareness of the importance of food and quality control in the industry.
The key elements of the project with the bakers are sensitization and public awareness programme, technical assistance that includes study tours for bakers and the provision of technical expertise in baking technology, safety and packaging.
On November 20, 2011, Dr. Steve John, Director of Bureau of Standard will lead a delegation consisting of seven Dominican bread and pastry producers and representatives from the Environment and Health Department and Invest Dominica on seven-day study tour to three countries, Jamaica, Martinique and Saint Lucia.
The delegation will have discussions with the Agencies responsible for Food Safety standards in these countries and tour bakeries and observe advanced baking technology including packaging.
The delegation will also visit the School of Baking of the University of Technology (UTECH) in Jamaica where discussions will be held on food safety and sanitization, bakery science and bakery engineering. The participants will also tour a fully mechanized bakery facility at the University.
Lectures and discussions will also form part of the study tour activities in the countries visited.
It is expected that study tour will assist in increasing the awareness and expose Dominican bread and pastry producers to best practices, product differentiation, modern techniques, quality and safety measures and utilization of modern technology in the industry.
The project has received significant technical and financial support from the partnering Agencies, and has recently benefitted from a grant of $ 383,000 from the Centre for the Development of Enterprises (CDE) to the AID Bank.
I MUST SAY THIS IS GREAT MOVE TO ALLOW CONSUMERS TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES…
ALSO WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON THE QUALITY OF OUR BREADS…MORE VARIETY…MULTIGRAINS ETC…PUMKIN BREADS, ETC, ETC
OUR DIET IS SO DEPENDANT ON BREADS, AND SO THE BREADS MUST BE MORE NUTRITIOUS…
I am currently in Guadeloupe and i have seen the bakers producing bread made out of breadfruit, sweet potato and even banana…..i think our bakers should try to get into this area as well….
Some things such as bread should remain just as they are. Cakes and pastries making will benefit greately from this for export and local consumtion. But I must emphasize that this initiave is very baddly needed in agriculture largely because of the treatment and stigma of Dominica’s produce overseas. St.Martin comes to mind.
This is remarkable, our baking industry could only get better. This could prepare us for the outside market. Way to go!
I guess after the bakeries start labeling their bread and related bread product the price will go up. their will be additional cost to the baker to label his product. However , it is a good idea to label bread so we dont have to asked whose bread it is