What ingredients are in local packaged foods?

| 14/11/2018

Ask Auntie, CNS Local Life, Caymanian statusAlmost all locally made packaged food products sold in the supermarkets, whether baked goods, ice cream, sauces, etc., do not carry any ingredients list on them. This goes for products bought by the supermarkets (e.g. bulla, ice cream) and for products made by the supermarkets (e.g. bread). I’d love to support local, but I also don’t want to eat certain ingredients. Is there no law that (at least packaged) food products need to state the ingredients? This would help both those who are allergic and those who are health conscious …and those who are simply curious.


Auntie’s answer: I have noticed the lack of what I would consider proper labelling of local products as well, so I am glad you asked this question. I approached the Department of Environmental Health (DEH), which is responsible for food hygiene and safety.

Unfortunately, an official explained that “current DEH food guidelines only speak to the labelling of imported foods”. However, the wheels are in motion to correct that discrepancy.

According to the official, new guidelines are being drafted to ensure the labelling of all food items, meaning imported as well as locally sourced. Once the DEH drafts those guidelines, which will include mandatory labelling, they will be vetted by other stakeholders.

I cannot say how long the process will take, but I will check in periodically with DEH for updates.

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Comments (4)

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  1. Limolady says:

    Every ingredient needs to be shown Incase of someone being allergic to nuts, shellfish,milk, dairy, etc. The US has now clamped down big time after a girl ate something that was processed where tree nuts are processed and she died. She was 16yrs old. Whether at a restaurant, supermarket or items baked or made from home.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I’d like to know if potassium bromade is banned in the CI.
    Common baked goods contain potassium bromate, a potentially cancer-causing food additive. Potassium bromate is banned in many countries, but in the United States, it’s still on grocery store shelves.

  3. Anonymous says:

    More importantly is anyone even monitoring what procedures and ingredients are being used? Also is anyone monitoring what local farmers are spraying their crops with?

    • Anonymous says:

      I would like to know what the farmers are spraying on their crops too. In other words how organic are the local organic lproduce?