GA-FDD Laboratories receive Certificate of Accreditation from JANAAC

The Government Analyst- Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) was presented with the Certification (Award) of Accreditation in conformity with the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standard on Monday last from the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC).
GA-FDD received the Certificate (Award) on the occasion of the 23rd General Assembly of the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), which is currently being hosted at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Delivering the feature address at the IAAC Assembly’s Inauguration was Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, and Fisheries (MICAF), Hon. Audley Shaw.
The GA-FDD Laboratories that were accredited include the – Food Chemistry Laboratory; Food Microbiology Laboratory; Excise Laboratory and Water

Chemistry Laboratory.
Director of GA-FDD, Marlan Cole, received the Certificate (Award) from Donovan Stanberry, Permanent Secretary to MICAF.
The certification was handed over in the presence of JANAAC’s Chairman, Simon Roberts, and Chief Executive Officer Sharonmae Shirley.
This Accreditation now gives the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department Laboratory the authority and scope to provide results generated from its analysis and tests which (are) now recognised and accepted anywhere in the world.
The agro-processing industry in Guyana will now be expected to have more access to international markets because of the enhanced competence of the GA-FDD with testing and certification.
Additionally, the Government Analyst- Food and Drug Department Laboratory is the only of its kind within the public sector entity in the region that is accredited.
During brief remarks, Cole thanked the Government of Guyana (Ministry of Public Health – MoPH); the GNBS; CROSQ, via the 10th EDF Fund; Staff and QA Dept of GA-FDD for meeting this milestone.
“On behalf of the Government of Guyana/Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD), I wish to convey sincere thanks to the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JAANAC) for conferring the Department with the status of accreditation in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standard… It would be remiss of me not to recognise the hard-working staff of the GA-FDD, particularly our scientific officers, our QA Department, and most importantly the MoPH’s key, critical and invaluable support given to the entire process. Last but not least, we must single out for special praise our own Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), for the unwavering support given to the department throughout the years” he said.
And in his closing remarks, he said: “It is our intention to maintain such a prestigious status and guarantee customer satisfaction”.