VOX POP: What do you think about the proposal to ban the sale of rice and flour in clear plastic bags?

The packaging requirements for the sale of sugar were changed last July, and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) is proposing to do the same with rice and flour. These household items are commonly sold in clear plastic bags. The proposal is to seal and label these items before they get to point of sale locations. While the BSJ is promoting such a change for the safety of consumers, and shopkeepers in downtown, Kingston have expressed mixed feelings about the proposal.

Clive Harris: "Me think it alrite, me will support it. It more safer, the hygiene up! Nuff people like how dem do the sugar. People nuh too like when yuh hand go inna dem tings like sugar and flour. Rice basically can wash."

Joan Robinson: "Me think is a good idea fi we di seller. It lesser fi we wid the plastic bag weh we haffi buy."

Alicia Brown: "Suppose me want half pound a flour, dem a go put that inna package? Me do likkle hustling and if me go out a Mr. Chin and buy flour and bag it out, a my likkle hussle dat enuh. A foolishness dem a kip up. If yuh wah half pound a sugar dem nah buss the one pound bag. A poverty dem a bring pan di land."

Rosan Allen: "Dem fi use paper bag, me feel say that better than the heap a plastic bag a blow over the place.The flour bag and the scandal bag nuh look good."

Lyndel 'Bulla Ras' James: "Need fi get rid of di whole heap a plastic, it a destroy di environment."

Michael Lewis: "Some of di people dem nuh have nuh proper facility. Label di ting, me will sure say nuh tampering nuh gwaan."

Michael Bailey: "It nuh trouble me whether unnuh wah bag it or seal it."

Donna Anderson: "Is a good idea cause yuh nah fi buy no more bag cause it come seal already."

Janet White: "Up a Kings House have Splenda and alms house nuh have nothing. Di other day when dem start bag the sugar dem, there was no pound sugar, pure bag sugar. Suppose yuh cyah afford di two pound? Look out fi we, look out fi we dung a alms house."

Debraly Coleman: "Yeah that's good because who buying it from us feel is di best way, it will sell more. If dem package it out inna di two pound it easier fi mi handle. If somebody come and want a one pound me will jus buss di two pound bag and sell dem."

Denease Doyle: "I sell sugar and is not all di time people want di two pound or five pound but dem will buy di bulk sugar from us. Dem ban di pound sugar but sometime yuh can still get it. Pound sugar sell fi $80 and di seal bag have pound and quarter so we jus sell it for $100. It better fi me cause me nah fi siddung and weigh out tings. Same factory it a come from so me nuh know why people have problem wid it. "