Every Lab Must Be Accredited – Stern

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Michael Stern, has said that every laboratory in Jamaica needs to be accredited as only evidence from such laboratories will be accepted in international courts of justice or dispute settlement fora.
The State Minister, who was making his presentation in the 2008/09 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House yesterday (June 17), said that through the National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQI), technical assistance is being provided for local laboratories to meet international standards.
“So far, 25 laboratories have received over 700 man-hours of consultancy to help them prepare for accreditation to ISO 17025, which is the general requirement for the competency of testing and calibration of laboratories,” he informed.
Turning to the Standards Compliance/Import Monitoring Programme under the Bureau of Standards, Mr. Stern said that the initiative ensures that locally produced and imported goods meet the requirements of compulsory product standard and labelling regulations.
The programme involves inspections, examinations, and investigations at the ports of entry and establishments in the domestic market.
“During the period April 2007 to March 2008 for example, 5,753 establishments were examined and 132,666 individual items were withdrawn from sale. These include food products, clothing, and footwear, which were withdrawn from the marketplace for being offered for sale after their expiration date, or some other breach of labelling regulations,” Mr. Stern said.
He said the initial targetted products categories were appliances, electronics, food, clothing, footwear, and paper products. Since January 2008, the programme has been expanded to include building materials, medical devices, and furniture.