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Editor's Note

Enterprise with roots On 30 November, Barbados turns sixty.

The Heritage Economy asks how our history,

Anniversaries invite us to look back, and this

from the Garrison to Crop Over, can create

edition does, but our real interest is in what

livelihoods without being cheapened. And in

comes next. Independence gave us a flag and a

The Guyana Effect, we look west to the region's

voice. The task of the next generation is to give

fastest-growing economy, setting out the real

more of us a stake: in the businesses, the land

opportunities for Barbadian and Trinidadian

and the ideas that shape our economy.

firms alongside the rules and risks they must respect.

That is the thread running through these pages. In Sixty Years of Enterprise, we trace the

As integrationists, we believe the Caribbean's

island's journey from cane fields to coastlines

future is a shared one. Guyana's boom, closer

and financial services, and ask what the next

ties between our nations and a growing

sixty years must demand. Beyond the Bank

diaspora willing to invest at home all point the

Loan looks at the credit unions, development

same way: our markets are larger, and our

agencies, angel investors and crowdfunding

possibilities wider, than any single island.

platforms that can help entrepreneurs grow when the bank says not yet.

We hope this edition informs, challenges and encourages you. To the entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and dreamers among our readers at home and abroad: the next chapter is yours to write.

Sam & San

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Beyond the Bank Loan: Financing the Caribbean entrepreneur

Ask any Caribbean entrepreneur what holds their business back, and the answer is rarely a lack of ideas. It is a lack of capital. Banks across the region are cautious lenders. They ask for collateral many young firms don't have, a trading history they haven't yet built, and guarantees that put the family home on the line.

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The traditional bank loan is not the only door, though. A growing range of options sits beyond the banking hall, for entrepreneurs who know where to look.

The credit union advantage Credit unions are among the region's most trusted institutions, and they are often the first stop for small business owners. Because they are owned by their members, they tend to know their borrowers personally and to judge them on character and track record as well as on paperwork. Many now offer dedicated small business loans, equipment financing and business advisory support. For the entrepreneur who has saved faithfully and built a relationship over the years, the credit union can say yes where a bank says not yet.

Development finance: patient money Development finance institutions exist to lend where commercial banks won't. Across the region, they offer loans, guarantees, grants and technical support for small and medium-sized enterprises, often on more flexible terms than a bank.

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At the regional level, the Caribbean Development Bank provides lines of credit through national institutions to support enterprise and growth. The Caribbean Export Development Agency helps firms get ready to export, with grant funding and support for entering new markets. Since opening its Caribbean office in Barbados, Afreximbank has also made trade and project finance available for ventures that link the Caribbean and Africa. Nationally, the Development Bank of Jamaica lends to small businesses through approved financial institutions and offers loan guarantees. In Trinidad and Tobago, the National Entrepreneurship Development Company provides financing and training for micro and small enterprises, and the Export-Import Bank of Trinidad and Tobago supports businesses selling abroad. In Guyana, the Small Business Bureau offers grants, loan guarantees and training for registered small businesses. This money is patient, but it comes with expectations. Applicants should be ready with a sound business plan, realistic projections and a clear account of how the funds will create jobs or earn foreign exchange.

Angel investors: more than money

Crowdfunding: the community as investor

For businesses with high growth potential, angel investors offer something a lender cannot: a partner. Angels are typically experienced business people who invest their own money in exchange for a share of the company, and they often bring mentorship, contacts and credibility with them.

Crowdfunding lets entrepreneurs raise small amounts from many people, usually online. A creative product, a social enterprise or a community-rooted brand can gather supporters as customers and backers at the same moment.

Angel investment is still a young field in the Caribbean, but investor networks and pitch competitions are growing. The diaspora is a largely untapped source. Caribbean professionals in New York, Toronto and London are increasingly interested in backing ventures at home. The trade-off is ownership. Taking on an angel means giving up part of the business and some of the control.

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In the Caribbean, crowdfunding draws on a tradition we already know well: the meeting turn, sou-sou or susu, where a community pools its resources for one another. Digital platforms simply carry that spirit across borders, so the diaspora can take part with a click. Success depends on a compelling story, strong visuals and steady promotion. Entrepreneurs should also check the rules in their jurisdiction, particularly for any campaign that offers equity or returns.

Finding the right fit No single source of finance suits every business. A bakery expanding its kitchen may be best served by its credit union. A manufacturer looking to export may suit development finance. A technology start-up may need an angel, and a creative brand may thrive on its crowd. Many successful firms blend these sources as they grow. Whatever the route, the same groundwork applies: keep clean books, know your numbers, and build relationships before you need them. The bank loan remains one door. For the Caribbean entrepreneur, it should not be the only one.

China and Barbados enjoy a longstanding friendship built on mutual respect, trust and shared aspirations for development. Since diplomatic relations began in 1977, our bilateral partnership has grown steadily, and economic and commercial cooperation are increasingly important. Tangible results have been achieved in infrastructure, agriculture, education and other fields. Recent highlights include the Silk Road Ark hospital ship visit, the Hope Agricultural Training Institute, the Third Phase of the Upland Rice Cultivation Project, progress on the Barbados National Stadium Redevelopment Project, and the groundbreaking for the Barbados Climate Resilient Water Reclamation Project. People-to-people cooperation matters greatly. To date, 135 Barbadians from different walks of life have travelled to China for training programmes. As the two countries approach the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027, I am confident that, through openness, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment, China and Barbados can unlock new opportunities and bring our partnership to an even higher level for the benefit of both peoples.

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China will leverage the opportunities offered by its vast domestic market and major platforms such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) to support Barbados in expanding its export markets and strengthening its export capacity. We will enhance communication and cooperation with Export Barbados and other relevant institutions, promote regular exchanges between trade promotion agencies of both countries, and support Barbadian business delegations in participating in the CIIE and other major trade exhibitions in China. Such participation will provide opportunities for product showcases, market exploration, and business matchmaking, helping Barbadian products connect with Chinese importers and distribution networks.

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In line with Barbados’ export development priorities, we will actively promote technical exchanges and capacity building in areas such as agricultural processing, food safety standards, product certification, branding, and e-commerce, with a view to enhancing the added value and international competitiveness of Barbadian products. We will also encourage closer engagement between businesses of both countries, explore practical ways to facilitate the export of Barbadian specialty foods, beverages, and other competitive products to the Chinese market, and promote higher-quality bilateral trade cooperation, thereby contributing to Barbados’ economic diversification and sustainable development.

From Practical Cooperation to Scaled Investment and Green Growth: Expanding the China–Barbados Economic Relationship

Scaling the Relationship

Energy Transition at Scale

China–Barbados cooperation has reached a point where the question is no longer whether the relationship delivers results, but whether it can be scaled. The upland rice project, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital expansion, and the early renewable energy engagements demonstrate feasibility. The next phase requires moving from project-by-project delivery toward a structured investment and green development framework that matches Barbados’s 2035 targets with China’s capacity in clean technology, concessional finance, and infrastructure.

Energy transition is the largest and most immediate green investment opportunity. Barbados aims for 100 per cent renewable energy and net-zero emissions by 2035. The investment requirement is substantial: the country’s clean energy transformation is estimated at US$7.8 billion. China has already supported the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute’s photovoltaic training centre and the Hope Plantation Solar Farm. The next step is to move from demonstration to deployment at scale. Barbados has issued requests for proposals for battery energy storage systems and is launching a major onshore wind project, with the government explicitly inviting Chinese companies to pre-qualify. China’s strengths in solar modules, battery storage, and grid integration align directly with these procurement pipelines. The Energy Transition Investment Plan, approved in March 2025, provides a sector-by-sector map of where capital is needed, including in public transport electrification—an area where Chinese electric bus manufacturers and financiers could structure fleet-replacement packages tied to Barbados’s existing fuel-import savings.

The Trade Base The starting point: a narrow but growing trade base. In 2025, China–Barbados bilateral goods trade reached approximately US$247.1 million, up 25 per cent year-on-year. But the composition is highly asymmetric: Chinese exports totalled US$235.1 million, while Barbados exported just US$12.0 million to China, leaving a trade gap of US$223.0 million. This imbalance is not unusual for a small island economy, but it signals where investment-led growth can add value—not by expanding exports of goods alone, but by building productive capacity in Barbados that serves regional markets and reduces import dependence in strategic sectors. -1

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Climate Finance, Blue Economy and the Practical Green Investment Agenda

Climate Finance

Institutional & Commercial Enablers

Climate finance is the bridge between Barbados’s needs and China’s capital. Barbados has already used debt-for-nature and debt-for-climate swaps to free up resources: a 2022 debt-for-nature transaction generated around US$50 million in savings over 15 years for marine conservation, and a 2024 debt-for-climate swap further reduced debt service in exchange for resilience investments. The Bridgetown Initiative, launched by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, explicitly calls for expanded concessional lending and longer maturities from major development financing partners. China, as a major bilateral creditor and development financier, can engage with this agenda through the “two preferential” instruments—government concessional loans and preferential export buyer’s credit—that are already active in Barbados. Scaling these instruments toward green projects, and potentially co-financing with multilateral climate funds, would lower the cost of capital for Barbados while giving Chinese green technology exporters a stable pipeline.

Institutional and commercial enablers need to be strengthened in parallel. Barbados offers a 9 per cent corporate income tax rate, tax holidays of up to 10 years, duty-free imports, and a single-point facilitation service through Invest Barbados. It has announced plans to re-establish an investment office in Beijing, which would give Chinese investors a dedicated entry point. On the Chinese side, the two countries have already used deferred payment agreements—the QEH expansion is financed in Chinese currency at 3.5 per cent over 11 years—demonstrating that structured, long-tenor financing is available for social infrastructure. Extending that model to renewable energy and blue infrastructure, with clearer project pipelines and standardised environmental and social safeguards, would reduce transaction costs and attract Chinese private capital alongside state-linked financiers. -11-49

Climate-Resilient Infrastructure The Climate Resilient South Coast Water Reclamation Project, undertaken by China Railway Shanghai Engineering Group, is a concrete example of how Chinese engineering can be paired with Barbados’s climate-adaptation needs: the BDS$220 million project uses an innovative debt-for-climate financing structure involving the IDB, the European Investment Bank, and the Green Climate Fund, adding no new sovereign debt. That model—Chinese construction capacity combined with multilateral climate finance—can be replicated in coastal protection, water reuse, and resilient port infrastructure.

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The Practical Agenda The practical agenda. Three steps would convert the existing base into larger investment and green cooperation. First, establish a joint green investment pipeline under the existing blue-economy MOU, prioritising battery storage, onshore wind, electric public transport, and water reuse—each with a defined procurement timeline and financing structure. Second, use Barbados’s 2025 Energy Transition Investment Plan as the anchor document for Chinese concessional and commercial finance, pairing equipment supply with long-term operation and maintenance contracts. Third, position Barbados as a regional green finance and technology demonstration platform: the island’s debt-for-climate experience, its 100 per cent renewable target, and its CARICOM market access make it a credible reference case for Chinese green investment across the Eastern Caribbean.

Preparing T&T For the Future of Work By Bavina Sookdeo

Trinidad and Tobago's labour market weakened in the first quarter of 2026, with the unemployment rate rising to 5.4 per cent from 4.9 per cent in the same period of 2025. The increase underscores the urgency of equipping people with the knowledge, skills, and adaptability a fast-changing economy demands. Against this backdrop, the TechHub and Up-skilling Academy, launched in October 2025 by the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), take on particular significance.

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Asked which skills gaps the Up-skilling Academy aims to address, COSTAATT said it was established because workers and organisations must continuously develop new competencies as the nature of work changes. "We are particularly focused on areas such as digital transformation, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, sustainability, and the creative and cultural sectors, while remaining responsive to emerging needs identified by employers." The TechHub, meanwhile, targets what the College describes as a long-standing disconnect in Trinidad and Tobago between holding a qualification on paper and having the confidence to deliver on day one in the workplace. "As the country accelerates efforts to diversify beyond hydrocarbons, local organisations urgently need people who can build, secure, and operate modern digital infrastructure. Instead, they continually face shortages in applied areas: practical Artificial Intelligence, cloud systems, hands-on cybersecurity, industrial IoT, and rapid prototyping."

Designed to change that dynamic, the TechHub is set up as an active innovation workshop rather than a conventional computer lab. "We have outfitted the environment with advanced, enterprise-grade capabilities, including dedicated high-performance GPU compute rigs for AI model development, omnidirectional VR treadmills, spatial computing suites, industrial 3D scanners and printers, and edge IoT hardware." To keep its content current, the TechHub will feed into the College's ongoing curriculum review. "Through recurring skills audits and technical advisory reviews with industry leaders, we will structure learning into focused, modular technical sprints that can be refreshed in step with the rapid evolution of enterprise platforms, technologies, and tools," COSTAATT noted. More broadly, the institution reviews and adjusts its offerings using employer consultations and feedback, participant evaluations, enrollment patterns, emerging occupational trends, and labour-market intelligence. It will also monitor programme demand, client satisfaction, and participant outcomes to determine when a course should be updated, expanded, redesigned, or replaced. "In a rapidly changing labour market, staying relevant requires continuous review rather than assuming that a programme will remain relevant indefinitely," COSTAATT said.

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Partnership with employers is central to the Academy's model. "Our objective is not simply to offer courses to industry, but to develop learning opportunities with industry." COSTAATT has already delivered targeted training for organisations including Government ministries, the Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad Tourism Limited, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), and the Judiciaries of Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. "These engagements provide valuable insight into the competencies organisations actually require," it said. Going forward, partners will help identify emerging skills gaps, validate programme content, offer practical perspectives, and support customized training and professional development. New short courses will be developed with industry experts and other programme areas across the College, and will proceed through COSTAATT's established quality and governance processes.

"Our objective is not simply to offer courses to industry, but to develop learning opportunities with industry." The result is a feedback loop: "Industry tells us what skills are needed, COSTAATT brings its academic and instructional expertise to the development of the learning experience, and employers can then assess whether the resulting training addresses their needs." At the TechHub, partners' involvement will go beyond the ceremonial. Employers will contribute operational challenges and data, allowing participants to build working solutions such as AI support tools, IoT monitoring systems, and 3D-printed or scanned components. Industry professionals, senior lecturers, and technical leads will provide project critiques, code reviews, and mentorship, so that training meets workplace requirements and industry standards.

By: Bavina Sookdeo

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Looking ahead, COSTAATT said that over the first three years it aims to consolidate the Academy's identity, strengthen its digital presence, establish new partnerships, secure corporate training contracts, and expand into regional markets. "By the third year, our objective is for the Academy to be recognised as a regional provider of skills-based education and professional development. But the larger measure of success is impact. We want to see more professionals acquiring relevant competencies, organisations strengthening their human capital, and learners accessing flexible opportunities to reskill and advance." As for the TechHub, COSTAATT said: "Success … means the TechHub serves as the premier applied innovation engine for Trinidad and Tobago, graduating hundreds of confident, job-ready practitioners annually who directly strengthen local businesses and drive public sector modernisation." By investing in local skills and technology, COSTAATT aims to narrow the digital skills gap, build long-term economic resilience, and strengthen Trinidad and Tobago's capacity to develop and export high-value, knowledge-based services across the region.

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The Guyana

Effect Opportunity, and caution, for Barbadian and Trinidadian business

Before December 2019, Guyana produced no oil. Today it pumps roughly 900,000 barrels a day, and it earned more than US$15 billion from crude exports in the first half of 2026 alone. The IMF projects growth of about 16 per cent this year, keeping Guyana the fastest-growing economy in the region.

For businesses in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, this boom is happening next door. The question is not whether there is opportunity in Guyana. It is how to reach it sensibly, legally and on terms that last.

Georgetown: Dan Lundberg / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped; tonal overlay.

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Where the opportunities are The biggest openings are often not in oil itself, but in the economy oil is paying for. Guyana's non-oil economy grew by about 10 per cent in the first half of 2026, led by construction, services and mining. Construction and infrastructure. Roads, bridges, housing, hospitals and the Gas-to-Energy project, which the government expects to finish in the last quarter of 2026, need materials, engineers, project managers and building trades. Energy services. Trinidad and Tobago's century of oil and gas experience is its strongest card. Fabrication, maintenance, marine logistics, safety training, inspection and environmental services are all in demand as a fifth production vessel prepares for first oil before the end of 2026. Professional services. Lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurers, bankers, HR specialists and IT firms are needed as companies multiply and regulation grows. Barbados is well placed here, given its depth in financial and business services.

Hospitality, health and education. Business travel, a growing middle class and returning diaspora are creating demand for hotels, private healthcare, training institutes and specialised schools.

New doors between Barbados and Guyana Barbados and Guyana have drawn closer than any two CARICOM members. Since July 2026, citizens of both countries can travel between them using national ID cards instead of passports. In May, Prime Minister Mia Mottley and President Irfaan Ali also announced the Trident Arrow fund, a joint investment vehicle that ordinary citizens of both countries will be able to buy into for projects in utilities, technology and agro-processing. Investors should watch for details of how and when it opens. Guyana's investment agency, GO-Invest, has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Invest Barbados and Export Barbados. These agencies are a sensible first call for any firm exploring the market.

Food and agro-processing. A larger, wealthier population needs more food, and Guyana has the land. Barbadian processors, packagers and distributors can partner with Guyanese producers. Trade missions linked to Agrofest 2026 have already strengthened these ties.

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Know the rules: local content

The risks to weigh

The single most important law for regional businesses to understand is Guyana's Local Content Act of 2021. It lists 40 categories of goods and services, from catering and trucking to engineering and insurance, with minimum shares reserved for Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies. A company currently qualifies as Guyanese only if Guyanese nationals hold at least 51 per cent of its beneficial ownership.

Rising costs. Demand has pushed up the cost of rent, land, office space and skilled labour in and around Georgetown. Budgets drawn up on old assumptions can quickly fall short.

For Barbadian and Trinidadian firms, this means that in the oil sector the practical route is usually a genuine partnership with a Guyanese company that holds a Local Content Certificate. The authorities have recently cracked down on so-called rent-a-citizen arrangements, where a Guyanese name appears on paper without real ownership or control. Partnerships must be real, or contracts and reputations will be lost. The law is also changing. A formal review of the Act began in late 2025. Officials have floated allowing lower Guyanese shareholding, possibly 25 per cent, in exchange for local investment and training commitments, but nothing has been decided. Whether the Act sits comfortably with CARICOM's single market rules is also unresolved. Anyone planning a long-term move should take local legal advice and follow the review closely.

For professionals on the move Guyana issued just over 12,000 work permits in 2025, a sign of how hard employers are looking for skills. CARICOM nationals holding a CARICOM Skills Certificate can work in Guyana without a separate permit, but they must apply in person in Guyana to have the certificate endorsed, with a valid passport and an original police certificate from home. Plan for that step before the first day of work.

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Policy change. Local content rules, ownership thresholds and certification requirements are being revised. What works today may need restructuring tomorrow. Oil dependence. Much of the boom rests on oil revenue and global oil prices. Firms tied only to the petroleum sector carry that exposure with them. The border question. Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo region remains before the International Court of Justice, which Guyana expects to rule as early as November 2026. Investors should follow the outcome and any reaction to it. Competition and goodwill. Guyanese firms and workers understandably want the first share of their country’s wealth. Businesses that arrive only to extract profit will meet resistance. Those that hire, train and invest locally will be welcomed.

Doing it right The firms most likely to succeed in Guyana will treat it as a partner rather than a gold rush. That means finding credible Guyanese partners, registering properly, hiring and training Guyanese staff, and building relationships before chasing contracts. Regional integration has long been an aspiration spoken of at summits. In Guyana it is becoming a commercial reality. Barbadian and Trinidadian businesses that approach it with respect, patience and good advice can grow with the region's fastest-rising economy and help make integration something that pays for everyone.

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The Heritage

Economy: Making our history pay, without selling it short

As Barbados celebrates sixty years of independence, the island is reminded how much of its value lies in its past. The Garrison, Bridgetown's historic streets, the windmills, the chattel houses, the rum and the rhythms of Crop Over are part of who we are. They are also, increasingly, part of how we earn.

Heritage tourism is one of the fastest-growing kinds of travel. Visitors want more than a beach. They want a story, a place and a people. The opportunity for Barbadian business is real. So is the risk: history turned into a backdrop, a souvenir or a costume. The question is how to make heritage pay without cheapening it.

Morgan Lewis Windmill: TaroSingh / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped; tonal overlay.

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Start with the story, told truthfully The most compelling heritage experiences are also the most honest. Barbados's history includes empire, sugar and enslavement as well as resistance, emancipation and nation-building. Visitors, and especially the diaspora, increasingly want the whole story. The Newton Slave Burial Ground in Christ Church, one of the most significant sites of its kind in the Americas, shows that remembrance can draw people precisely because it is treated with dignity. Experiences that romanticise the plantation era, by contrast, risk offending the very audiences they hope to attract.

Practical ways to make heritage pay Guided heritage trails. Walking tours of Bridgetown and its Garrison, Speightstown or Holetown, led by trained local guides, can be sold through hotels, cruise operators and online. A good guide turns a street into a story and earns a fair wage doing it. Living museums. Sites such as the Morgan Lewis windmill, Arlington House in Speightstown and St Nicholas Abbey show how restored buildings can earn through admission, events, cafés and shops while staying true to their past.

Festivals with year-round spin-offs. Crop Over grew from the celebration of the sugar harvest. Its costumes, music and craft can support businesses all year through workshops, exhibitions and behind-the-scenes tours, not only for a few weeks in summer. Commemorative goods made at home. Anniversary prints, books, pottery, textiles and jewellery should be designed and made by Barbadian artisans, not imported. Licensing official anniversary marks to local makers keeps the money on the island. Galleries and exhibitions. Churches, libraries and public buildings can host heritage galleries that charge modest entry, sell catalogues and attract sponsors. Partnerships with schools and the diaspora extend their reach. Roots tourism. Many in the diaspora want to trace family history. Genealogy services, archive visits and village homecoming tours can bring visitors back year after year. Digital heritage. Virtual tours, audio guides and online collections reach people who may never visit, and can be sold, sponsored or used to persuade them to come.

Rum and food heritage. Barbados is widely regarded as the birthplace of rum. Distillery tours, tasting rooms and cookery classes in cou-cou and flying fish, or conkies at Independence time, turn culinary tradition into paid experiences.

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Guarding against cheapness

An economy with roots

Making heritage pay does not mean making it trivial. A few principles help:

Across the region there are encouraging models. Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua and Brimstone Hill Fortress in St Kitts show how World Heritage status can sustain a working economy around a historic site. Barbados, with its own World Heritage listing, is well placed to do the same.

Involve the community. The people whose history is being told should share in telling it, and in the income it brings. Get the facts right. Partner with historians, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, and the Barbados National Trust before launching an experience. Reinvest. Set aside a share of revenue for preservation. A crumbling site earns nothing in the long run.

Heritage is not a museum piece. Handled with care, it is a renewable resource: one that creates jobs, supports small businesses and teaches each new generation who they are. At sixty, Barbados has a history worth sharing, and a chance to make sure Barbadians are the ones who benefit from sharing it.

Price for value. Cheap, rushed experiences cheapen the history too. Visitors will pay more for depth, authenticity and a knowledgeable guide.

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A business born of experience Paltoo first confronted the issue in 2014, while developing healthy meals for children with different dietary needs. The work led him to examine the additives and colourants used to extend shelf life and improve appearance. His research deepened years later when his wife, Malikah, faced a prolonged period of ill health. In June 2024 the couple registered Mika & Shen Foods (MAS Foods). The name combines Malikah's family nickname and Paltoo's own. The company focuses on healthy, preservative-free, locally made and sustainable products. A sister company, Livin D Mostest (LDM) Health Consultancy, launched in 2025 to focus on health, resilience and lifestyle change. Together they offer consultations, recipe development, food-safety guidance and product-development services. LDM is also testing its own line focused on women's health. For Paltoo, it is a chance to move from talking about healthier food to creating commercially viable alternatives.

"It is not simply about creating a healthier product," he says. "It has to be a product consumers will actually want to buy based on their need."

Why dyes persist Synthetic food dyes have a clear commercial purpose. They make products more attractive, keep colour consistent between batches and reinforce expectations about flavour or freshness, all at relatively low cost. Switching to natural colourants brings its own challenges: higher ingredient costs, limited local supply, shorter shelf life, difficulty sourcing consistent raw materials and exposure to disruptions in international trade. Then there is consumer acceptance. Paltoo welcomes government moves towards healthier snack options for children as a start, but says the Caribbean's challenge is a reluctance to embrace unfamiliar products. Healthier products must still deliver on taste, appearance, price and convenience.

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Reading the label E110

E102

E133

Yellow No. 6 Sunset Yellow

Yellow No. 5 Tartrazine

Blue No. 1 Brilliant Blue FCF

Paltoo urges consumers to read ingredient lists rather than rely on front-of-pack marketing, particularly for children's products. The same dye can appear under different names depending on where a product is made. Sunset Yellow may be listed as FD&C Yellow No. 6 or E110, and Tartrazine as Yellow No. 5 or E102. Others include Brilliant Blue FCF (Blue No. 1, E133), Erythrosine (Red No. 3) and Allura Red (Red No. 40). Disclosure matters. In a recent Class II voluntary recall, more than 122,000 cases of 28-ounce Gatorade were pulled after bottles reached shelves without declaring Yellow No. 5 and/or Yellow No. 6. The dyes are legal but can cause reactions such as hives and wheezing in sensitive individuals.

The question, he says, is not only whether a colourant is permitted, but whether regulators, manufacturers and consumers have enough information to make informed decisions.

A shifting regulatory landscape

Opportunity in the shift

Changes in major markets quickly ripple outward. In January 2025 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would revoke authorisation for Red No. 3 in foods and ingested drugs. In February 2026 the FDA relaxed labelling rules so that products coloured with natural sources such as beet juice or spirulina may now claim "No Artificial Colors".

Natural colours can come from beetroot, turmeric, spirulina, and the carotenoids and anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables, meeting growing demand for products seen as more natural and less processed. Paltoo sees real potential in products built on the Caribbean's own agricultural resources, if academia, industry and regulators work together.

Because Trinidad and Tobago and its neighbours rely heavily on FDA and European Union benchmarks, these decisions shape what reaches local shelves. Importers are now auditing inventory and phasing out non-compliant goods.

Healthier eating, he adds, cannot rest on individuals alone. Restaurants, supermarkets, manufacturers and policymakers all have a part to play.

Paltoo argues the region needs its own independent research reflecting Caribbean consumption patterns and food systems. "One of the Caribbean's biggest challenges is data and access to research outcomes," he says. Much regional research never reaches businesses in usable form, raising the cost and uncertainty of developing new products.

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Changing expectations are a market opportunity as much as a regulatory burden. Companies that combine health, affordability, quality and convenience will be best placed for the industry's next phase. For Paltoo and MAS Foods, that is the space they intend to occupy: at the intersection of nutrition, food science and entrepreneurship.

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2027 / DISCOVER BUSINESS IN CHINA

Open Doors to New Opportunities Discover suppliers, showcase your brand and build connections across China’s dynamic marketplace.

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Start your 2027 business journey today! Visit the official websites for dates and registration.

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2027 / DISCOVER BUSINESS IN CHINA

Connect with China Build Your Network Explore services, digital innovation and investment partnerships connecting China with the world.

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