JMEA urges vigilance as contaminated sugar probe unfolds

Kathryn Silvera, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), says the organisation is relying on guidance from regulators as concerns grow over contaminated sugar linked to Pan Caribbean Sugar Company.

“Pan Caribbean would be the manufacturer of the sugar in this instance, and so they would supply a number of different entities, people who might be using sugar as a raw material to bake or for other items, distributors, or those who buy in bulk and then repackage,” Silvera said.

She however made it clear that the JMEA was not directly investigating its membership at this stage.

“So the JMEA is not necessarily looking into our members. What we would be doing is sharing the information that is available to us at this time, which is the same information available to the public, with our members, so that they can carry out their own checks and balances,” she said.

Silvera noted that uncertainty remains about the full distribution chain of the affected sugar.

“Because we wouldn’t know who Pan Caribbean is supplying at this time, we would just be sharing the information with our membership so that, in the same way it is being shared publicly, they can be aware of the ongoing situation,” she said.

When asked whether the JMEA would publish a list of companies supplied by Pan Caribbean if that information becomes available, Silvera said that responsibility lies elsewhere.

“It’s not the JMEA’s responsibility to do that. I would say that if any of our members have concerns that they may be using any items from Pan Caribbean, they should make contact with the regulatory authorities … or the Consumer Affairs Commission.”

She stressed that manufacturers and consumers alike should be guided by official updates.

“We all have to be guided by the press releases from the Ministry of Health and the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority, which are the bodies responsible for regulating and advising the public when situations like this happen.”

Silvera also pointed to unanswered questions about potential health risks, particularly where the sugar might have already been used in food production.

HEALTH RISKS

“I think that the Ministry of Health would have to provide guidance because I am not sure what health risks may or may not be associated with the contaminated products,” she said.

“They have sent out a press release, but it hasn’t specified … they’re just advising consumers not to consume it.”

She added that typical food preparation methods might reduce risk, but this remains uncertain.

“If, for example, somebody buys that sugar and then bakes with it, they’re going to sift it … I don’t know all the different manufacturing processes that are in effect, so I think those products would be tested, as well, and it would depend on what the test results show from those by-products,” she said.

Meanwhile, a health official from the Westmoreland Health Department emphasised that the contamination concern is not the sugar itself, but the presence of metal.

“The sugar itself is not a problem; the metal in it is the problem. You don’t want to be ingesting metal,” the official said.

The official noted that some of the sugar may undergo further processing, reducing immediate concern in certain cases.

“They supply to another company that does additional processing, so that wouldn’t be a problem because it would go through another process again,” the official explained.

However, uncertainty remains about whether the sugar was distributed directly to bakeries and other end-users.

“We’re trying to find out from them now if they also supply to other bakers and so on, so we don’t have that information yet.”

While guidance for distributors and companies using sugar from PCSC remains unclear, instructions from the Westmoreland Health Department for consumers are direct.

“There are only two things: either you return it or you discard it. I would not recommend anybody use it.”

Authorities are also hoping businesses will act proactively.

“What we’re hoping is that those companies, if they do have that product, will return it to the manufacturers and distributors so that they can get a replacement or refund.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com