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Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards Reinforces Compliance with Market Surveillance Program Saint Lucia, October 30, 2024 – The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) is actively implementing its market surveillance program, in accordance with the Standards Act 14 of 1990 (Chapter 13.25) and the Standards Regulations, across various retail outlets and supermarkets on the island. This initiative aims to ensure compliance with compulsory labelling standards, safeguard consumer interests, and promote fair trade practices.
Market surveillance inspectors conduct thorough inspections at local retail locations, where they identify themselves to store managers and present their SLBS Inspector ID. During these inspections, any nonconforming products are promptly brought to the attention of the store manager, followed by a formal notification outlining the specific products in breach of the established standards.
According to Part 4, Clause 32 (a and b) of the Standards Act, it is illegal to sell or offer for sale any goods, services, or processes that do not conform to declared compulsory standards. This includes any failure to label, package, or advertise goods in compliance with these standards.
Retailers found with nonconforming products are required to remove these items from shelves and implement corrective actions.
Common label non-conformities identified during inspections include:
- Absence of a label
- Label only presented in a foreign language
- Missing best before or batch numbers
- Lack of country-of-origin information
- Absence of manufacturer’s name and address
- Incorrect declaration of net content
To assist businesses and interested parties in meeting these standards, the SLBS will host a virtual labelling workshop on November 21, 2024. This workshop will address labelling requirements for both food and non-food products. Interested participants can register for the workshop on the SLBS website by filling out the form below.
The SLBS remains committed to enhancing the quality of goods and services in Saint Lucia while ensuring that consumers are protected, and businesses operate compliant to the existing regulatory framework.
For further information contact the SLBS at 453-0049 or email info@slbs.org.