Food Safety Pioneer Marks 25th Anniversary

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, has commended Technological Solutions Limited (TSL) for being a pioneer in food safety and quality systems implementation.

The State Minister was speaking at TSL’s 25th anniversary luncheon at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on Thursday (June 30).

“TSL has steadily expanded since its 1996 start, making a name for itself both locally and internationally as a provider of laboratory services; plant and facility design; systems auditing and assessments; technical training and thermal processing, all essential elements for businesses to maximise efficiencies and earnings,” he shared.

He noted that during the pandemic, TSL sought accreditation from the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC). This was to contribute to the national effort of COVID-19 mitigation and prevention, as one of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited COVID-19 Conformity Assessment Bodies.

“I also note your programme to address export market challenges, as well as your support to MSMEs (micro, small and medium sized enterprises) two areas which the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has strategically pinpointed as imperatives to increase foreign exchange earnings, provide employment and grow local industries,” he said.

Dr. Dunn said one of the Ministry’s key initiatives, the Export Max III Programme, combines these two priority areas, providing capacity-building and market penetration support to MSMEs. He said companies in the programme have been successfully trading in new markets in North and South America and Asia, and at least 100 new buyers have been identified for their products.

“Initiatives such as these, along with targeted private-sector programmes and services such as those offered by TSL, are essential to our recovery beyond the pandemic. We must harness the innovativeness and discipline for which we are known in sports and music, [and] fashion and apply those attributes to our commercial endeavours,” he said.

He said the Ministry is committed to positioning Jamaica as a standards-led, market-driven economy to enhance Jamaica’s global competitiveness and ensure consumer protection. “We look forward to continuous engagement with all our stakeholders as we craft and implement those policies and programmes which will lead to profitability and sustainability for Jamaican entrepreneurs,” he said.

In her remarks, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn applauded TSL for its application of sound science to advance the development of food safety, quality standard design of food, quality assurance system and the provision of laboratory support for a wide range of food-manufacturing processes, among other things.

She said TSL has contributed immensely to the expansion of food manufacturing for Jamaica, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and Asia.

The Ministry has benefited from the services provided by TSL, Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn continued, whose work improves lives, especially with regard to food safety, the reduction in the outbreak of food-borne diseases and mitigating deaths associated with consumption of contaminated foods. She added that TSL has positively impacted public health and safety, locally and internationally.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, TSL, Dr. Andre Gordon, said TSL’s journey over the past 25 years has always been a remarkable one, “focused on the goal of making the world a better place through the effective application of science”.

He said TSL’s Vision is to be “… a major enabler improving the well-being of the peoples of emerging economies through the application of appropriate science and technology to health and enterprise”.