Despite warnings in Costa Rica that there was a deficit in the budget of Senasa, the institution in charge of applying tests to exported and imported meats, the authorities assure that the execution of these tests will not be interrupted.
A few days ago, the livestock sector had warned that the entity could be forced to suspend the tests applied to meat products, a situation that could affect the health of consumers.
In the new commercial reality in which customers value food free of any virus or bacteria, producers and international distribution chains are forced to reinforce their safety systems to reduce the risk of selling contaminated products.
Months ago, it was reported that in China, processed and frozen meat products arriving from abroad were detected with the presence of the coronavirus.
The rules for food companies and producers, on the management of food allergens, were approved. These rules can be adopted by the legislation of each country and thus harmonize the requirements of trading partners.
The standards, which will apply to cereals containing gluten, crustaceans and their products, eggs and egg products, fish and fishery products, peanuts, soybeans and their products, milk and milk products, and nuts and their derivatives, were approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC43), the body responsible for all actions related to the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and which focus on protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in their marketing, reported the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).
With the new laboratory for the analysis of toxic residues of bovine, porcine and poultry meat, which will begin to operate as of March 2021, Panama will be able to begin exporting to the US market.
Due to the fact that the country so far lacks a laboratory to certify the quality of the meat, Panama cannot export to the United States, however, authorities announced that next year the situation will change.
Some of the requirements for companies exporting food from Guatemala are that exporters guarantee good sanitary practices and that in case of an outbreak of covid-19 they notify their buyers and separate infected collaborators.
Safety and health protocols have taken off in this new trade scenario, which emerged suddenly due to the spread of covid-19 around the world.
The installation of acrylic sheets in customer service windows and the distribution of work areas guaranteeing a meter of distance between employees are some of the measures that have been applied by fast food chains in Panama.
Following the covid-19 outbreak, companies have faced health and safety challenges and have had to reinvent themselves in order to continue operating.
With the aim of reaching consensus with the business sector, local authorities began the process of consultations regarding the bill that seeks to eliminate the Panamanian Food Safety Authority.
The plans of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) are to abolish the Panamanian Food Security Authority (Aupsa) and create the National Food Export and Import Procedures Service (SENTA), which will limit itself to executing the policies emanating from MIDA and MINSA.
Guatemalan producers report that their profit margins have been reduced because the threat of the Fusarium R4T pest has forced them to increase their spending on phytosanitary measures and crop biosecurity.
Adapt the country's sanitary norms to international standards and unify food import and export systems is part of the plan proposed by the Varela administration.
In order to take advantage of commercial agreements and increase exports to the European and North American markets, the government is working to consolidate its health systems.
The Panamanian Association of Exporters (Apex) CEO, Rosmer Jurado, said to Elcapitalfinanciero.com that "… the government's decision to initiate the process of unification and modernization of the country's health system is key to ensure that importers and exporters fulfill the same standards, so that consumers are assured that imported products meet the same quality requirements as domestic production, ensuring their safety."
In Guatemala, a workshop to train professionals from the Central American region on the use of the Regional Integration System for Health Registries is being organized for June 18.
From a statement issued by the Sieca:
The Center for Studies for Economic Integration (CEIE) at the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA) is organizing a workshop to train professionals from the Central American region on the use of the Regional Integration System for Health Registries (SIRRS).The objective is to promote the use of the IT platform and train personnel in the private sector in its use and exploitation.
On February 28, a free seminar on the safety regulations that Canadian authorities require to market food will be held in Guatemala City.
From a statement issued by Agexport:
The Business Intelligence Unit at the Market Development and Commercial Promotion Department of AGEXPORT and the Embassy of Canada in Guatemala are calling on exporters who have experience in exporting food to the Canadian market.
Operating Company dedicated to the manufacture of gluten-free and sugar-free products, OHNE brand.
The OHNE brand has 8 product lines: square bread, sweet lemon cookies with chia, chocolate with blueberries and sweet cookies with sunflower seeds, sesame sticks, empanizer, banana cake, all made without gluten, without sugar, without soy and dairy-free, ingredients that are intolerant for this market segment.
In November 2018, Panama City will be hosting the 50th international session of the Committee on Food Hygiene of the FAO Codex Alimentarius.
From a statement issued by the Aupsa:
The Republic of Panama has been officially announced today as the host country for the 50th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH50), which will be held from November 12 to 16, 2018.
A law that is being discussed in the Congress of Costa Rica "would allow associations of activists to decide what individuals will produce, what shops will sell and what consumers are going to eat, with no technical or scientific basis."
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Chamber of the Food Industry:
Deputies push intervention law that will affect food production
Problems related to health and safety come top the list of reasons why shipments of Guatemalan products are rejected in the US and Europe.
Pesticides, labeling, salmonella, processing, lack of information, products, lack of list of ingredients, aflatoxins and mislabelling, are in order the main causes of rejection by the FDA in the US.
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