National Agricultural Health & Food Control Programme

The National Agricultural Health and Food Control Programme (NAHFCP) was established to address the deficiencies in the agricultural health and food control system in Barbados. It is an overarching entity that coordinates the key regulatory functions relating to food control (i.e., food safety and quality) and agricultural health (i.e., plant health, animal and veterinary public health) and provides overall leadership.

Objective: To contribute to Barbados’ improved public health and increased quality and competitiveness of agricultural and fishery products by raising agricultural health and food safety standards to international levels.

Activities

• Improvement of legislative and regulatory framework for agro-industry.
• Development and implementation of quality assurance programmes for the laboratories.
• Development and implementation of monitoring and inspection systems for the agricultural sector.
• Development and implementation of risk assessment units for animal health, plant health and food safety.
• Development and implementation of food safety emergency response systems.
• Development and implementation of a traceability and recall system for the food industry.

Benefits of the NAHFCP's Implementation

• The public’s health is protected.
• The food we eat in Barbados, whether produced locally or imported, is safe.
• Helps guard against foodborne illnesses; invasion of plant and animal diseases; and harm to the environment.
• Seeks to provide assurance that the food Barbados export meets international standards.
• Locals and tourists can be confident that the food produced, handled, stored processed, served and sold in Barbados is safe, wholesome and properly labelled.