In an historic move, Jamaica will be able to analyze the sugar, salt and fat content of food products, following the upgrading of laboratories at the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ). 

The upgrades are being funded by the International Development Research Centre of Canada at a cost of $20 million, the Sceintific Research Council (SRC) is also stated to benefit from the funding. The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday August 27. 

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, said this historically significant initiative will assist the Government in its drive to reduce the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, which he said is one of the greatest public health threats. Therefore, the upgrade of the SRC and BSJ labs will provide baseline information on the concentrations of these ingredients in food products, which will enable the government to establish evidence-based national guidelines, standards and regulations for these ingredients, to ensure that more healthy food options are available for consumption by the public. Results of laboratory analyses will raise public awareness of the composition of fats, sodium and sugar in commonly consumed foods.