Partial List Of Accomplishments

• The application of scientific research and presentation of technical information to UK, US and Canadian authorities separately, to allow the exports of ackee fruit valued at approximately US$20M per annum from Jamaica to the UK, Canada, and the USA. This involved coordinating and undertaking significant scientific research (now published) to convince the authorities that there was a scientific underpinning to the safe production of ackees for export. This process involved changing Jamaica’s regulatory regime, training processors and inspectors and successfully transforming the sector through the introduction of HACCP-based food safety systems (1999-2000).
• After the re-imposition of the import alert on ackee in the USA in 2006, additional work was done to characterize the nature of the problem and elucidate the mechanism of the rise in hypoglycin (toxin) levels. This was followed by the development and implementation of effective, science-based mitigation methods that allowed the FDA to lift the import alert and allow exports to re-commence.
• TSL undertook pioneering work on Alicyclobacillus to characterize the organism and then develop and implement effective mitigation strategies for this serious economic threat to the beverage industry in 2004. This work remains the only such published work from the Caribbean region.
• Research and development of science-based approaches to improving the production, quality and shelf life of bottled coconut water (2004-2007). This has become best practice for the bottled coconut water industry globally and is being applied by the UNFAO through its guidance document (2007) for all producer regions of the world. This work was recently been extended to cover products from throughout the Caribbean and is facilitating a renewal in the sector and increased intra-regional trade.