Business View Caribbean | December 2019

35 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN DECEMBER 2019 BUREAU OF STANDARDS JAMA I CA the Licensing Authority to handle the product, so we can do chemical testing. We have been doing some of that and we really fall in line with the rules outlined by the CLA. “Another product that is emerging and doing very well is bamboo, which has many strains and a wide range of uses. With the banning of plastics, there are bamboo products being developed, which can substitute for a number of things that plastics used to do. We are part of the Bamboo Industry Association; we take leadership roles and train their people. And we are developing standards so these new products can be built to standard. A certain stage of the bamboo can be used as a vegetable; another version can be used for furniture, or straws, or plates – things that used to be made from plastic. “Product diversity is what is required. That these industries will spring off and not make the mistakes of coming on with bad products, because it would be aligned so standards that recognize international requirements for trade are met. Once you can satisfy the local market and your product is built to standard, you are ready to trade. If that is done, the Jamaican economy stands well. We have a special project unit supporting the bamboo industry - doing training, marketing, and also tapping into the global requirements, so we can stay ahead of the game.” BVC: What challenges are at the forefront right now and what are the Bureau’s goals for the near-term future? Heron: “Well, locally and regionally, there has been big talk about front of package labelling. The health sector felt it was important to focus on non-communicable diseases that the region suffers from, such as diabetes, obesity (in children, and generally). So the region was challenged to come up with something to impact these diseases. One of the items