SRC Encourages Persons to Use Its Standardisation Services

The Scientific Research Council (SRC) is encouraging persons to utilise their standardisation services in food product development.

“If you have a product that you have been developing at home for a while, and you have interest in commercialising that product, we are able to take you through the steps, applying a scientific process to ensure that you can get a standardised product that is consistent for the consumer,” Food Product Development Team Leader at the SRC, Valmo Wynter, said at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ today (April 6).

He said that standardisation allows you to produce at a consistent quality, and also allows the entrepreneur to do a proper costing of the product.

For his part, Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Cliff Riley, emphasised that to compete on the international market, products must be of a certain quality.

He added, further, that the Council’s pilot plant is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, so utilising these services gives entrepreneurs better access to international markets.

The Executive Director outlined that “at the SRC, our paramount thrust is stimulating job creation and, in turn, stimulating economic growth in Jamaica using science and technology”.

He highlighted the creativeness of Jamaicans, referring to the common site of motorised handcarts or bicycles with engines on Jamaican roads.

“How do we capture that creativity and move it towards products that are standardised, which can be scaled, which can be reproduced and which are acceptable globally,” he said.

“When you come in to us with your idea, and we discuss those ideas with you, our team of scientists will work with you to ensure you develop high-quality products,” Dr. Riley said.

Meanwhile, Manager, Food Research and Development unit at the SRC, Dr. Chara Watson, said “you can formulate, you can develop, you can make your product, but is it market-ready; that is where the SRC comes in”.

“We get you from the idea stage to a commercially viable product with the required quality and safety standard for market,” Dr. Watson said.