Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 05, 2020 (SKNIS): The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) is encouraging caterers to follow the food labelling standards to some extent, says Head of Standardization, Jermine Mike.
“The purpose of having caterers label their items is solely to convey information to the consumer,” he said. “They do not have to follow the strict guidelines of pre-packaged food unless they themselves are offering pre-packaged foods. So here is what they would need to do if they are catering, the name of the food and hypersensitivity/allergen information where applicable.”
Mr. Mike said that if the caterer is providing the information on a menu, they will only need to provide allergen information.
“You don’t need to provide further information on loose food,” he said. “However, you must follow the rules for pre-packed foods as any information you give voluntarily. For example, an ingredient list or a ‘use by’ date.”
As of November 2019, the National Labelling Standards were adopted. These standards include Specification for Packaged Water, Requirements and Recommendations for Beach Operations, Environmental Management Systems, Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code, Labelling of Goods – Specific Requirements for Pre-Packaged Goods, Labelling of Pre-Packaged Food and the General Labelling Requirements for Goods.
Persons are asked to note that while the labelling standard for Pre-Packaged Food is voluntary, it is important to adopt and follow it, as it will soon become law, said Mr. Mike.