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Release Date: 05/07/07

Baron's Purified Water Gets Standards Mark

The National Standard Mark, the only quality mark enshrined in the legislation of Saint Lucia was officially issued to Baron Foods Ltd. for its bottled water, Baron Purified Water. This took the form of a signing ceremony on Friday July 08, in the Conference Room of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, the organization issuing the National Standards Mark. 

Under the Standards Act of 1990 the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards has the authority to operate a voluntary product certification scheme, under which a license to carry the National Standards Mark is awarded to manufacturers whose products consistently comply with national standards and who have successfully implemented necessary quality and food safety systems. The certification scheme is applicable only to products for which national standards exist and includes a formal process of examination, laboratory testing and follow up evaluation.

Following successful certification, a license to carry the Saint Lucia Standards Mark (a quality seal) is issued by the Bureau to the manufacturer of the product. Baron's Purified Water has successfully undergone this process and now stands as the second local company to be issued the National Standard Mark. The first such company is Paradise Water.

The signing ceremony wasl be witnessed by Minister for Commerce, Tourism, Investment and Consumer Affairs Hon Philip J. Pierre, who also delivered remarks at this important activity.

The National Standards Mark is an effective tool for obtaining access to the local and international markets, as it makes a powerful statement about the conformity of a product to the relevant standard which is internationally accepted, and is backed by the Bureau's signature.

The license issued to carry the National Standards Mark is valid for one year, following which the product must undergo a relicensing process.