New Products & Developments
1. SA8000 Social Accountability
2. Quality Certification for Animal Feed Chain
SA8000 Social Accountability
SA8000, in simple terms, is an international standard for improving working conditions. Based on the
principles of thirteen (13) international human rights conventions, this standard is a tool to help apply these norms to practical work-life situations.
The SA8000 standard is used to audit companies and contractors alike in multiple industries and countries. SA8000 represents a major breakthrough as it was the first auditable social standard and it creates a process that is truly independent (it is neither a government project, nor dominated by any single interest group).
To certify conformance with SA8000, every facility seeking certification must be audited by accredited
certifying bodies. Auditors will visit these facilities and assess corporate practice on a wide range of issues and evaluate the state of a company's management systems. Once an organisation has implemented any necessary improvements, it can earn a certificate attesting to its compliance with SA8000. This certification provides a public report of good practice to consumers, buyers, and other companies and is intended to be a significant milestone in improving workplace conditions.
Maintaining and improving the systems put in place to achieve SA8000 certification is an ongoing process and substantial employee participation can be the best means to ensure systematic change. The benefits of adopting SA8000 are significant and may include improved employee morale, increased reliability of
business partnerships, enhanced competitiveness, less employee turnover and overall better employee - manager communication.
THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS
A facility wishing to seek certification to SA8000 must apply to an SAAS - accredited auditing firm or certification body. Assessment of compliance to the SA8000 standard and the issuance of accredited SA8000 certifications are available only through SAAS - accredited, independent organisations.
Intertek Moody has an established strategic partnership with CISE Italy to promote SAAS - accredited certification services.
Once an organisation has implemented any necessary improvements to meet the requirements in the standard, it can earn a certificate attesting to its compliance with SA8000. Certification under SA8000 can apply to companies, Non-Government Organisations (NGO), consulting firms, suppliers, and subcontractors in any industry in any country (except Myanmar). Certification is granted for three years and includes a series of required surveillance audits throughout this three year period. Surveillance audits are an ongoing periodic review of the certified facility's quality management system to ensure continuous improvement in meeting the standard.
The certificate represents a significant achievement and certified facilities are required to make public their
certification. SAAS also publishes this information on its website. Facilities can display their certificate, but individual products cannot be labelled as the certification is for a workplace process, not a product.
For any further information about the SA8000 certification services, please contact the local Intertek Moody office in your area.
Quality Certification for Animal Feed Chain
The 'animal feed' sector is an important link in the food production chain. Due to growing concern about
food safety, the Dutch Product Board (for) Animal Feed (PDV) has initiated a programme focusing on
the guarantee of animal feed quality. As a result, all ingredients for animal feed must be certified to Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP) designation, or equivalent.
WHAT IS GMP+?
GMP+ stands for GMP Certification Scheme Animal Feed Sector 2006, a quality assurance system for the animal feed chain. It is maintained by the Dutch Product Board (for) Animal Feed (PDV). GMP+ is a
combination of the international foodstuffs industry's Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP)
system and the good manufacturing and managing practice quality assurance standards based on ISO
9001.
Regulation (EC) no.183/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 12 January 2005 also applies.
The main focus of GMP+ is on animal feed safety as a component of overall food safety. This is achieved by obliging chain parties only to obtain raw materials from GMP+ certified companies, thus ensuring that all the consecutive links in the various production chains apply the quality standards.
GMP+ is currently being expanded to cover the entire chain, from feed ingredients producer to transport
company and livestock farmer.
GMP+ CERTIFICATION
If companies wish to be registered under the GMP+ code, they must comply with the requirements of
GMP and the associated statutory provisions.
Companies should include this code in their externally-audited quality assurance system. The basic principle is that, in order to be able to deliver within the GMP+ chain, each link in the production of
animal feeds guarantees the product safety through a system which is based on HACCP principles.
This form of chain certification offers a reliable basis for the guarantee that the animal feed has the required level of quality with respect to product safety from beginning to end.
Certification and verification must be carried out by an independent, EN45011 or ISO/lEC Guide 65 accredited institution.
Intertek Moody has been approved by PDV in Holland via the Intertek Moody Czech Republic office (Moody International s.r.o. PDV109959) and accredited under EN 45011 by German accreditation body DAP (DAP-ZE-4277.00).
