ZAMBIA – Zambeef Products, Zambia’s largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company, has been awarded ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System Certification for its ZamMilk, Masterpork and Zamchick plants.
The ISO 22000 is an internationally recognized food safety standard that is designed to harmonize the requirements for food safety management for businesses within the food chain.
The standard spells out what an organization needs to do to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that the food it produces is safe. It also requires incorporating any applicable food safety related statutory and regulatory requirements into its food safety system.
Chishala Malekano, Zambeef’s Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager, enlightened that the certification is part of Zambeef’s commitment to improving the safety and quality of its products.
“This is a big step for Zambeef as we continue to strive to better serve our consumers. Being the largest agribusiness company in the country carries with it a great responsibility on our part to ensure that our products are of the highest quality.
“This ISO 22000 gives our consumers the assurance that our food products meet the highest safety standards, and that in turn brings about improved confidence in our company’s products,” he said.
According to the company, the certification is a plus for suppliers as well as they will now be able to provide clear specifications on raw materials and products sourced.
“Our mode of operation stays true to local sourcing of products and we aim to make sure that our people are not left out. The certification carries a ripple effect and will benefit everyone in the supply chain from producers and manufacturers right down to retailers.
“Being an international standard, it will help our suppliers improve the quality of raw materials and products supplied to Zambeef, which will in turn carry over into us creating safe and quality products for our consumers,” said Mr. Malekano.
The standard also buttresses risk management controls across the food supply chain, improving the confidence of consumers and other stakeholders in the company’s ability to reduce health risks.
The Corporate Affairs Manager highlighted that the company aims to not only feed Zambia but also countries in its environs, a mission which the certification propels by granting access to new market opportunities.
“This will enable proudly Zambian products to compete on the international market, which in turn will be a huge benefit to the nation in that Zambeef will contribute more to economic growth through export earnings,” he stated.
The three plants join Zambeef’s Novatek Lusaka plant, specializing in the manufacture of animal feeds, which already has the certification.
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