Food safety certificate for flour company

The World Food Safety Organisation has presented Federated Mills, suppliers of flour, with Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points certification.

In a statement, Federated Mills said it had been gearing up to the standard required to achieve the certification for the past two years, with this work also forming part of the upgrading to achieve EU standards.

Part of the work included fitting forced air ventilation to ensure no windows are opened to prevent access to any insects or birds; a state-of-the-art laboratory; upgrading of all machinery; setting up cleaning schedules; the installation of the latest detector to pick up any impurities and an ongoing training programme for all employees.

The certification is not a one-off exercise. WFSO inspectors audit the company every six months to ensure standards are maintained, Federated Mills said.

In its bid to further improve hygiene and work standards in the trade, Federated Mills said it was also helping bakers to install their own silos to enable the delivery of flour in bulk, rather than in sacks.

Emphasising the importance of hygiene in food safety, company chairman Charles Demicoli said food products in the EU were subject to strict, consumer-orientated regulations. "One of the best tools to achieve this level is to qualify for the HACCP certification."