(Jamaica Gleaner) Industry and Commerce Minister, Karl Samuda has announced that rice imported from Suriname and Guyana will be allowed to be cleared from the wharves starting yesterday afternoon.
He made the announcement at a press conference yesterday.
On Monday, the Jamaica Customs Agency temporarily halted the clearance of rice at all ports of entry following reports of so-called plastic rice on the market.
The Bureau of Standards Jamaica began testing samples to verify whether rice was in fact being contaminated with plastic.
Yesterday afternoon, Samuda said the BSJ had found no evidence of this so far.
He said in the interim the authorities were allowing rice from Jamaica’s CARICOM partners, Suriname and Guyana, to be cleared as the BSJ’s investigations continue.
He cited the historical integrity of product supplied by CARICOM, as the reason for trusting rice from the region.
