For food manufacturers, the safety of their products – and the health and satisfaction of their consumers – are a priority. To secure both – and to conduct their business activity – they need to obtain a variety of approvals and certificates. We discuss some of them here – and explain how we can help in every respective field.
GMP+
The GMP+ feed safety system was developed in 1992 in the Netherlands, where, after numerous cases of contaminated feed, the demand grew for an increased level of safety throughout the feed sector. Therefore, safety standards were developed at every stage, i.e., production, trade, transport, handling and storage of feed and feed additives. This means that GMP+ standards were also extended to all subcontractors, including testing laboratories
GMP+ certified companies in the feed production sector are obliged to commission analyses to a laboratory that is GMP+ certified or has an equivalent quality system, e.g., compliant with PNEN ISO/IEC 17025:2018-02 (ISO/IEC 17025:2017). Our laboratory meets the above requirements as confirmed by the PCA accreditation certificate number AB 079.
With critical feed contaminants such as:
- aflatoxin B1,
- dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs, non-dioxin-like PCBs,
- heavy metals,
- fluorine,
GMP+ certified companies must use laboratories that are placed on the Registered Laboratories list, which our laboratory has already been on since 2018.
VLOG
Another method to secure compliance with safety standards is the VLOG system. It was initiated by the German Association for Foods without Genetic Engineering (Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik), which sets standards for the production of GMO-free food and applies to animal products, cereals, fruit and vegetables and feed, covering all stages from production in the broadest sense through to storage and transport.
Since 2019, laboratories that wish to perform GMO analyses for companies in the feed and food production under the VLOG system must be recognised by VLOG as VLOG-recognized laboratories. Our laboratory has passed the registration procedure and is now listed in the register.
FRUIT MONITORING
Fruit Monitoring is a German system for monitoring pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables, managed by HDE Trade Services GmbH (HTS), for trading companies: Dohle, EDEKA/Netto MD, Globus, METRO (Real, METRO Cash & Carry), Norma, and REWE.
Laboratories aspiring to join the scheme must meet the following minimum standards:
- accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the country of the testing laboratory. The methods used must fall within the scope of the accreditation and the accreditation must relate to products tested within the Fruit Monitoring programme. There are three types of laboratory approval: A, B and C. Laboratory A must be able to analyse at least 80% of the minimum (standard) range of listed substances in fresh fruit and vegetables.
- regular participation in proficiency tests.
The results of laboratory tests for pesticides in fruit and vegetables carried out within Fruit Monitoring are entered into the central system fruitmonitoring.com, where they are analysed with respect to product, product group, origin and active substances.
The scope of accreditation by PCA and positive results of proficiency testing enabled the Hamilton UO-Technology Laboratory in Słomczyn to become an approved laboratory in the Fruitmonitoring system.
GMP+, VLOG and Fruit Monitoring are just three methods of securing the compliance of your food products with regulations. If you would like to learn more about these – or test your products for necessary compliance – do not hesitate to get in touch with the specialists of J.S. Hamilton.
