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Compliance
In recent times
food safety has become a major issue in all the countries that fruit are
exported to. The
retailer and the consumer want the assurance that fruit are
produced and packed in a safe environment, that
no chemicals were applied at
dangerous levels, and that the fruit are not contaminated by any foreign
material. Piketko therefore has to comply with various local and
international industry standards for food safety.
PPECB approval
USA exports
International HACCP accreditation
The HACCP system
Employee safety
Environmental safety
PPECB approval
As a company
that does packing and cooling of fresh produce for the export market,
Piketko has to adhere to
strict regulatory policies and standards. All fruit
that are packed for export must be passed by the Perishable Products Export
Control Board (PPECB). Piketko also has PPECB-approved cold stores.
USA exports
Fruit that are
exported to the USA has to be free of insects that are prohibited in
the USA. Piketko
operates an inspection facility for producers and exporters
where an on-site inspection is conducted by inspectors from the US
Department of Agriculture and National Department of Agriculture.
International HACCP
accreditation
Piketko has the
internationally accepted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
accreditation for
both its deciduous and citrus packing, as well as for the
cold stores in which the fruit are cooled down and
stored prior to export.
This assures producers, export agents and the end consumer of the highest
standard
of food safety practices regarding chemical, biological and
mechanical hazards.
This
accreditation means that the processes and procedures used at Piketko
complies with international specifications with regards to handling and
storing of fresh fruit. A monthly internal audit is carried out to
ensure
that standards are kept at the required level.
The HACCP system
The Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point (HACCP) system is an internationally recognised means of
assuring fruit safety from harvest to consumption. It is a Quality Assurance
system primarily targeted at
ensuring the safety of fruit through minimising
microbiological spoilage and contamination.
Recognised by Codez
Alimentarius and other leading food safety agencies, HACCP has become
the market standard for fruit safety world-wide. The HACCP Quality System
aims to achieve more than a quality level compatible with customers’
expectations. It seeks to ensure that the food is safe for consumption.
Piketko attained the HACCP
accreditation for apples and pears on 12 February 2003, and accreditation
for
citrus on 6 June 2003.
HACCP involves both machines and
human. Without regard for the latter, the system will not function.
Therefore a training program was developed that consists of a slide show
containing photos representing
the cycle of the fruit packed at Piketko –
from the orchard to the marketplace. The Training Officer then
educates
(trains/informs) the personnel with the help of the slide show. The HACCP
training takes place
at the beginning of every packing season.
Employee safety
Piketko cares
for the safety of its employees. In addition to the fact that safety
legislation has to be adhered to, Piketko has a safety committee that meets
on a monthly basis to discuss safety issues. Piketko also has a skilled
firefighting team and well-trained emergency personnel. More information at
Health and safety.
Environmental
safety
Environmental safety is high on
Piketko’s priority list and great care is taken to protect the environment
in a sustained way. Waste water created during the drenching and packing of
fruit is collected into a
sealed-off dam on Piketko’s premises. |
