Handling Food Safety Issues in Paradise: Part 3—Oceania

There is some good news on the horizon, Sayers reports. With the support of ITC and the FFSA, the Chilean government’s external technical assistance service (la División de Asuntos Internacionales) is now working with Fiji’s Ministry of Health to develop a project aimed at strengthening the institutional framework for inspection and certification of agricultural products in Fiji, as well as the coordination of national food safety systems.

“This should cut down on microbiological risks and aflatoxins by improving local detection rates and reducing the time required for food processors and sellers to get tests,” Sayers projects. “Under the planned assistance from Chile, Fijian inspectors and Ministry of Health Food Unit professionals are initially being invited to visit Chile and spend time being trained in the excellent facilities found there. These staff will then play a leading role in establishing and managing improved facilities in Fiji upon their return.”

The Chile connection came about, Lal explains, because of ITC’s historic links with Chilean industry and the interest of the Chilean Government to support the Pacific islands. “Chile needed a partner in Fiji that could help orientate their teams on the ground,” she says. “FFSA and ITC have been able to provide a link to their project partners in the country. The only challenge now for Fiji is to find appropriate times for staff to undertake the training in Chile.”

Lal emphasizes that FFSA is examining every possible way to ensure its sustainability. “For example, the Fijian government supports employers to develop the skills of their workforce through a training supplement on employers’ tax contributions and tax relief on the cost of certified training,” she points out. “The Fiji National University manages accreditation and it takes more than a year for training curricula and a trainer’s quality to be assessed and accredited. However, it is worth the effort because enterprises are prepared to pay for accredited qualifications, which they can offset against their tax liabilities.”

Another sustainability line is for FFSA as an association, or its individual members, to gain representation status with other regional bodies such as Australian and New Zealand HACCP organizations. “ITC has helped us reach out to these globally recognized bodies for recognition and technical and moral support,” Lal notes.

Evidence of FFSA’s professionalism and credibility, Lal adds, is that Fiji’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism wishes FFSA to help it adopt ISO 22000 Standards for Fiji and has invited FFSA to be part of the committee to facilitate this transition. “Moreover, FFSA members have conducted several successful food safety workshops for Fiji’s all-important hotel and tourism groups with excellent feedback,” Lal says. “We are all very proud that FFSA is comprised of professionals with passion and zeal to create awareness of food safety and enthusiastically promote the organization’s theme of ‘safe food saves lives.’”

Industry Perspective

Commercial tuna fishing has long been a significant part of the economy in the Pacific Islands region, and tuna canneries, especially those in American Samoa, have been key stakeholders in the industry, dating especially to the 1940s.

Located within the geographical region of Oceania, American Samoa is one of only two possessions of the U.S. in the Southern Hemisphere, (the other being Jarvis Island).

Under Chapter 3 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2016 Supplement Edition), products from American Samoa can be exported to the U.S. tariff free if the local
component is at least 30 percent of the value. This is a substantial advantage for tuna producers based on the island, as canned tuna imported into the U.S. from other countries is subject to a six percent to 12.5 percent duty for tuna packed in water or up to as high as 35 percent duty for an oil pack.