SOUTH AFRICA – In partnership with DNV Business Assurance South Africa, Sattvik Certification South Africa has launched the “Sattvik Certification Scheme” for the African Market.
The Sattvik Council of India in association with its Global Audit Partner – Bureau Veritas, launched the “Sattvik Certification Scheme” last year in India.
“Vegetarian logistics & supply chain management I” and “Vegetarian cruise kitchen & hospitality management II” are two topics included in the Sattvik Maritime Management Manuals, which were formally released by the Sattvik Council of India.
The Sattvik Maritime Management Manuals were created with the expectations of the stakeholders in mind, as well as the present requirement for standards in the supply chain for vegetarian or vegan food safety and cleanliness mixed with traceability and accounting.
Both Sattvik Certification SA and DNV make an effort to spread the knowledge about this certification program internationally.
In the opening remarks, Mr. Faheem Zahid, Business Controller, DNV India Pvt., and Mr. Craig Barlow, Food and Beverage Technical Business Development/Lead Auditor/Lead Tutor, spoke on behalf of DNV Business Assurance South Africa.
Shri Santosh Gangwar, the former Minister of Labor and Employment and current Chair of the Government of India’s committee on Public Enterprises, as well as Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the country’s Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, Shri Abhishek Biswas, the organization’s Founder, and Secretary General, and Shri Vagish Pathak, the Chairman of the Sattvik Council, were present at the launch.
Representatives from ministries, PSUs, and the media were also present during the launch event, according to the Press Trust of India.
In addition to Mr. Faheem Zahid, Business Controller, DNV India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Craig Barlow, Food and Beverage Technical Business Development/Lead Auditor/Lead Tutor, represented DNV Business Assurance South Africa at the event.
In his address to the crowd, Shri Abhishek Biswas said that the launch is an effort to create a concise set of vegetarian and vegan requirements to be used by organizations in the food and lifestyle chain for the implementation of the requirements.
He revealed that DNV will also use the scheme to assess such organizations for conformance to the requirements and to help promote vegetarianism and veganism.
On the other hand, Shri Vagish Pathak stated that the Sattvik scheme’s main objective is to create a “Vegetarian Environment” for the vegetarian or vegan consumers of India and African markets by creating SOPs in all applicable areas, having the potential for a guaranteed 100% vegetarian environment.
“The Sattvik scheme will provide the gateway to the increased market for African access while mitigating the business risks; likewise, it will encourage the facilitation of international trade. The certificate will help in the reduction of production costs through reduced wastage and recall,” he said.
In her address to the audience, Ms. Lynda Tezkratt, General Manager, DNV Business Assurance, Africa, stated, “At DNV Africa, we are happy to support SCI in its ambition to bring Sattvik food into Africa. Sattvik principles rely on health and wellbeing concepts, as well as food safety and traceability. DNV Business Assurance Africa is very proud to bring our expertise in food safety inspection and certification to foster the growth of Sattvik food consumption among African countries.”
She swore that with the partnership, they would continue to work on enhancing the technical specifications of the standard and enhancing its credibility by adhering to stringent certification requirements.
Customers of SATTVIK across the continent will feel safer, as a result, Tezkratt said.
The auditors will be chosen based on their prior experience in the food supply chain and will be instructed on the special requirements of SATTVIK food by SCI experts.
“This is a welcome addition to value as we expand our auditors’ capabilities and broaden our perspectives into new areas, driven by extremely demanding consumers who want food quality and safety at all points throughout the value chain,” said Tezkratt.
DNV Business Assurance South Africa is a world-leading certification body with more than 70,000 certificates issued worldwide.
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