Since 2019, our company is IFS Food certified. This certification is the result of daily work carried out by our quality department. A result made possible by the involvement of all our employees, who are aware of the importance of food safety.
What is IFS Food?
“The IFS Food is a standard recognized by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) for auditing the quality and safety of processes and products in food companies. It concerns food processing companies or packaging companies of naked products.
The IFS Food applies when products are “processed” or when there is a danger of contamination of products during primary packaging. The IFS Food standard is important for all food companies, especially for those producing private label products, as it contains many requirements for compliance with specifications. It recognizes the efforts made in production and marketing to ensure the safety and quality of the brands”
Pouliquen certified IFS Food since 2019
It was in 2017 that Pouliquen undertook to obtain IFS Food certification, in order to provide additional proof to our customers of the quality and traceability of our shallots, sorted and packaged on our site in Cléder (29). In 2019, our company was awarded IFS Food certification for the first time and has since renewed it every year.
The achievement of this certification was made possible by the implementation of a demanding and efficient quality system. The ability of our company to maintain the level of quality since the first certification in 2019, proves to our customers our commitment and seriousness in terms of product quality and food safety.
Developing the “Food Safety culture” at Pouliquen
In order to guarantee the maintenance of our quality level and to renew our IFS Food certification every year, our quality department has been working not only to meet the requirements of the standard, but also to raise awareness and involve all our employees, so that obtaining IFS Food is the result of a collective and lasting effort. Since his arrival in the company in 2016, our quality manager, Loïc Gautier, has undertaken to develop internal communication, as well as training for all the company’s teams, from production to sales, including the administrative departments. Training sessions for small groups of 4 to 5 people are conducted regularly. On-the-spot questionnaires submitted to the employees make it possible to check that the information transmitted has been properly understood. Traceability, food fraud, food defense… All the topics listed in the IFS Food standard are covered during these training sessions.
Throughout the year, Loïc also has regular individual discussions with each employee to ensure that all team members remain involved and to answer any questions.
IFS Food V7, the six areas of the company concerned*
IFS Food V7 covers six main areas of the business, all of which are considered essential to establish effective processes that ensure product safety and quality.
– Governance and commitment: review of management’s commitment to supporting the sustainability of the food safety culture and quality assurance policy.
– Food safety and quality management system: necessary to meet legal and food safety requirements and customer specifications.
– Resource management: management of human resources, working conditions, hygiene and sanitation to ensure product safety.
– Operational processes: production of safe and quality products according to customer specifications.
– Measurement, analysis and improvement: inspections, process validation and management of complaints and corrective actions.
– Food defense plan: protection of the integrity of the company and the products manufactured.
This year, out of the 241 requirements audited for the renewal of IFS Food v7, Pouliquen obtained an A for 236 of them, a score of 94.57%. The next IFS Food renewal audit will take place in the first quarter of 2023. Until then, all our employees, guided by our quality department, will continue their efforts to ensure the quality and traceability of all our products.
Source : www.ifs-certification.com