Fonterra Te Awamutu has become the first site in the world to be awarded the newly created Food Safety System Certification 22000 – Quality, an internationally recognized food safety accreditation, says the co-operative.
Where previously food safety and food quality have been audited and assessed separately, the new certification gives companies the option of combining their food safety and quality management systems into one certification. This offers assurances of international best-practice in food safety and quality.
“At Fonterra safe food, safe people and world class quality underpins everything we do,” says Fonterra director New Zealand manufacturing Mark Leslie.
“We do not compromise on any of these and one does not take precedence over the other.”
“This certification is in keeping with the importance we place on each of these critical aspects of our business and a vital step in continuing our journey in becoming the world’s most trusted source of dairy nutrition.”
All Fonterra New Zealand-based ingredient sites already hold the baseline certification – and several sites, including Eltham, Kapuni and Pahiatua are on track to join Te Awamutu soon in achieving the gold standard FSSC2200-Q certification.
This is a double-win for New Zealand, with Kiwi food safety assurance company, AsureQuality, being the first in the world to be an accredited provider of the FSSC2200-Q scheme.
