Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download

FBR March 2016

26 | MARCH 2016 | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.com F ood manufacturers and distributors, faced with implementing a perplexing set of food safety standards, often find themselves having to comply with multiple standards/variants in order to supply the big retailers, each with their own special preferences. If there was such a thing as food management paradise, it would be one standard recognised by everyone, everywhere. Pipe dream, perhaps? Believe it or not, such a “super-standard” actually exists – it’s called FSSC 22000, and South Africa is joining the international trend towards adopting the new standard. One of the first local FSSC 22000 certifications was completed recently for Gauteng-based fresh produce packer and distributor Nu Leaf Brands. The IAF-accredited certifier was SAI Global. The FSSC (Foundation for Food Safety Certification) is an independent, non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands. FSSC says the standard, based on ISO 22000, brings it in-line with the additional requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). The FSSC 22000 standard is recognised by major players and their members worldwide, among them GFSI, The European Organization for Food and Drink Manufacturers, and GMA (Grocery Manufacturers’ Association in the USA). In South Africa, most major retailers (Pick ‘n Pay, Spar, Shoprite etc) have green-lit FSSC 22000. Mark Bartlett, GM of Nu Leaf Brands, says that before FSSC 22000, the company needed multiple certifications in order to service its diverse client base. There was a lot of duplication. Bartlett says Nu Leaf’s business – it has 3 500 Global GAP-certified farmers in its supply chain – has required a major investment in food safety. “It’s prudent and it’s a necessary part of good corporate governance at Nu Leaf, but you really need to live and breathe it in order for a food safety programme to be effective”. FSSC 22000, says Bartlett, is more than just an enhancement of their previous programmes. “It’s more intensive, more encompassing, more introspective. It requires going the whole nine yards … but it’s been worth it.” One of the advantages of FSSC certification is that it eliminates the need for full annual audits; it only needs to be done every three years, interspersed with frequent, random surveillance audits. Says Jacques Williams, Certification Manager, Assurance Services for SAI Global’s South African office: “FSSC 22000 is specifically targeted at food manufacturers. This certification scheme will help secure food safety standards within the production process of the supply chain. “SAI Global is a worldwide leader in Food Safety audits, certification and training. We understand that obtaining a certificate is just the beginning of a food safety management systems journey. Our auditors understand that the application of the standard can be quite different in small, medium and large organizations, and are trained to assess client systems in a way that will be appropriate to their business.” Contacts Nu Leaf Brands Tel: +27 (0) 11 827 8623 www.nuleafbrands.co.za SAI Global Tel: +27 (0) 21 850 0510 www.saiglobal.com FOOD SAFETY FSSC 22000 The food safety super-standard FSSC 22000 compliant ... from left, Nu Leaf Brands’ GM Mark Bartlett, Christa Swanevelder, Food Safety Consultant, Zondai Nzembe, Food Safety Team Leader, and Cedric Bartlett, MD, with J P Groenewald, Operations Manager of SAI Global. Food & Beverage Reporter is available in digital format (PDF) immediately it is published. The digital edition is free. Make sure you don’t miss out by emailing adminfbr@fbreporter.com and we’ll send you a reminder each month with a link to the latest e-edition. For subscriptions to the printed magazine, visit www.fbreporter.co.za Reporter & has 3500 Global GAP-certified farmers Tel: +27 (0) 118278623 Tel: +27 (0) 218500510

Pages Overview