Dr. Dunn Tours Seprod’s Milk and Dairy Production Plant

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn on Friday (November 18) toured Seprod’s Milk and Dairy Production Plant in St. Catherine, as part of activities to mark World Antimicrobial Resistance Week.

World Antimicrobial Resistance Week is being observed from November 18 -24, under the sub-theme ‘Antimicrobial Resistance Environmental Health and Trade: Creating Solutions’.

The tour highlighted the role of Seprod in preventing antimicrobial resistant pathogens and pesticide residues through the sourcing of safe milk, access to clean water, good sanitation, and hygiene.

“Safety is an important aspect of what happens here, because all the processes of pasteurization to the final packaging, sterilization and so on, is all geared to ensure that pathogens are eliminated from the products, so that when you consume it, it is completely safe,” Dr. Dunn said.

The State Minister lauded Seprod’s precautions of testing its milk supply at the farm, after it arrives at the factory and within the finished product.

The process is locally monitored by the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority and the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division under the Ministry. This is also done in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Meanwhile, antimicrobial resistance was declared as one of the top 10 global public health threats by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

Senior Veterinary Specialist in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Kevin Walker said Jamaica has not seen any threatening signs of the condition locally.

“Luckily for us here in Jamaica, most of the big industries that produce our food, do not use a lot of antimicrobials [in animals]. Antibiotics are expensive in Jamaica, so we would rather manage the animals properly, so we don’t have to go there,” he stated.

A Trade Symposium to highlight creative solutions to the problem will be held on Wednesday (November 23) and will feature Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill and representatives from the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO).