Following the circulation of false information since the end of 2016, concerning the alleged presence of synthetic plastic food products in Haiti, in particular imported rice and pasta; The Ministry of Commerce, in a press conference, unveiled the results of an investigation carried out by the technicians of the Directorate of Quality Control (DCQ) and Consumer Protection and reassured the Haitian population alarmed by its rumors.

In order to verify this information, the Ministry of Commerce, through the DCQ, initiated an investigation to search for suspicious products, inspect sales centers and food warehouses, interview members of the population (sellers and consumers) and analyzed samples of suspected products.

This investigation was conducted in 7 cities in the West epartment: Carrefour, Delmas, Pétion-Ville, Croix-des-Bouquets, Tabarre, Port-au-Prince, Miragôane and other provincial towns in the South. Les Cayes, Jacmel, Belle-Anse, Marigot, La Vallée de Jacmel, Bainet and Côte-de-Fer, and other departments of the North and the Nippes.

This investigation , conducted in supermarkets, warehouses and public markets in the metropolitan area and in some provincial towns, did not reveal the presence of synthetic food products on the local market. "During these inspections, departmental technicians noted that a wide variety of white and/or translucent pasta, increasingly important in the country," indicated Roberta Jean-Baptiste, Director of the DCQ adding that a sample of the product was taken for analysis to determine if they are synthetic or natural. "The results of the organoleptic tests, method A.O.S.T (Appearance, Odor, Flavor, Texture) as well as the laboratory analyzes, confirm that we are not in the presence of synthetic products, made from plastic.

The Minister of Commerce, Dr. Pierre Marie Du Mény, invited the population to remain calm and affirmed "[...] the Ministry is committed to strengthening the process of Quality Control in the country. To this end, a deployment of inspectors will be carried out very soon, throughout the national territory, in order to verify the state of the products for sale on the market, in particular their packaging and the expiry dates."

HL/ HaitiLibre