Cariri training for food manufacturers

REPRESENTING some of the leading food manufacturers in Trinidad and Tobago, 20 technical personnel took part in a food microbiology workshop organised by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri). The five-day training programme took place September 22 - 30 at the institute’s St Augustine campus offices. The participants, mainly from large and medium businesses, work in areas such as quality control, production and nutrition. In Cariri’s classroom and laboratory/ hands-on sessions, they were exposed to several aspects of basic food microbiology, such as detection and enumeration of microorganisms; organisms that cause food poisoning,  and spoilage organisms such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus Aureus.

The programme was made possible through the collaborative efforts of locally-based Caribbean Business Services Ltd (CBSL) and Cariri.  It was partly funded by the European Union.  The wider project deals with food safety, including implementation of hazard analysis critical control point. Commenting on the benefits gained, participants unanimously felt Cariri should organise related sessions for the food industry, as well as training programmes for other industrial sectors.