MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – The BestBites Jamaica Restaurant Awards will be launched at the 6th International Food Safety Conference, to be staged at The Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica, St James, W.I. October 18th -19th, 2012.
The Food Hygiene Bureau is currently the largest private sector organization specializing in food safety training and consultancy in the Caribbean.
The BestBites Jamaica Restaurant Awards will be the first of its kind in Jamaica; it will celebrate and recognize safe eateries with excellent culinary offerings on the Island. As part of the recognition process, food service entities will be audited and provided with guidance on how to improve their processes. A pocket-sized guide which ensures that locals and visitors to the Island are able to make the best choices regarding where to eat when it comes to food safety, will also be published.
The “6th International Food Safety Conference” presents a forum for exploring food safety challenges and the impact of culture and new technologies under the guidance of leading experts in industry, academia and regulatory sectors from across the globe. Among the experts are:
– Meghnath Gosein, Corporate Secretary and Unit Leader – Business Services at the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), and Chairman of the Food and Beverage Industry Development Committee (FBIDC) in Trinidad and Tobago
– Dr. Tanya MacLaurin, renowned Professor and member of the Graduate Faculty within the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. At Guelph she teaches; Cultural Aspects of Foods and Economics of Food Usage as well as Safety, Security Risk Assessment
– Angela Hills, Destination Manager, Federation Tour Operators
– Alan Lacey, Board Director of the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology, UK. Alan lectured in Food Law at the University of Surrey and is a member of the advisory panel for the HACCP Masters course at Salford University
– Dr. Lisa Indar, Program Manager, Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, Trinidad
– Bob Payne, Founder and principal of EGW Consulting in Jonesboro, GA, USA; former Director of Food Safety of the PFG Food Group – Orkin Pest Control
– Dr. Sylvia Mitchell, Head of Medicinal Plant Research, University of the West Indies
– Dr. Fitzroy Henry, Director of the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute
– Jonathan Lamey, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, College of Science Arts And Education and many others.
Jamaican cuisine has been described as the eclectic mix of Taíno, African, European, Indian and Chinese cuisines, a veritable melting pot of delectable gastronomy. There is something in that piece of ground called Jamaica or Xaymaca that gives a fresh, distinctive, full-flavoured taste to foods that are grown in its soil.
Local creativity and the rich variety of foods, spices and herbs grown on the Island allows Jamaica to offer to the world a truly delicious, satisfying and healthy culinary experience, that is rich in the use of farm fresh ingredients and health-preserving herbs such as ginger, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and “scotch bonnet” hot peppers. Tourist and locals travel distances near and far to experience this delightful and healthy culinary tradition.
The “BestBites Jamaica Restaurant Awards” will take that tradition of excellence to the next level by recognizing and celebrating eateries with the best food safety procedures and practice. Beyond celebrating the Awards program, audits will be conducted, advice provided and a pocket-sized guide of the best eateries on the Island based on food safety standards and practice will be published.
