Stricter audit systems in quality assurance

According to Balázs Bóza, business manager – CRS of SGS Hungária Kft., it is more and more frequent that a company’s owner – in basically all industries – initiates the building of a quality assurance system, because a reorganisation like this can help to improve its market position and profitability. WESSLING Hungary Kft.’s main services are laboratory testing and engineering office work. Business development director Dr Tamás János Szigeti told our magazine that well-prepared, independent and accredited laboratories can contribute to the market success of companies.

_{Balázs Bóza
business manager
SGS Hungária}

Bureau Veritas Magyarország Kft. is of the opinion that thanks to the presence of multinational companies in the Hungarian market, a quality-conscious attitude is becoming more important for food manufacturers. Senior business developer György Laczkó explained that quality assurance and certification are essential to have for food companies if they wish to become the suppliers of major retail chains. Pál Tóth, sales manager of Bizerba Mérleg Hungária Kft. told that the company already offers scales which are capable of storing food product tracking data digitally. By using these, retailers can save time and they can be sure that data don’t get lost or damaged.

_{György Laczkó
senior business developer
Bureau Veritas Magyarország}

Mr Laczkó called attention to the fact that the switch in quality and environmental management standards will take effect on 15 September 2018. Companies have less than a year to have ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 audits performed. As for the food industry, the new FSSC 22000 standard is already out and its requirements are valid as of 1 January 2018. Dr Szigeti mentioned that the European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was published last April and it becomes mandatory from 25 May 2018. The European Commission is continuously working on fine-tuning the food chain and environmental safety regulations in the EU. Mr Bóza added that on 1 January 2018 decree 28/2017. (V. 30.) of the Ministry of Agriculture enters into force – the decree regulates the self-audit systems operated by food manufacturers.

One of the most important elements of quality assurance is certifying suppliers and regularly checking the ingredients and ready-made products supplied. Those expectations are also strengthening, which focus on special consumer needs such as the management of allergens, religion-related requirements (halal, kosher), sustainability standards (UTZ, RSPO), etc. Laboratory services hardly have a chance to stay in the market if they aren’t accredited. In manufacturing the ISO, IFS and BRC standards, in laboratory testing the MSZ ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation are essential to have.

Popular SGS Hungária Kft. services include GFSI certifications (IFS, BRC, FSSC, etc.), integrated certification solutions and training programmes. Mr Bóza underlined that food adulteration is the second biggest illegal business in the EU behind selling drugs. For SGS identifying food fraud and verifying the authenticity of food products is one of the most important tasks. They keep adopting the latest testing methods and certification systems in order to be able to perform these tasks the most efficiently.

WESSLING Hungary Kft.’s laboratory offers several new services in the field of FMCG, it is enough to mention testing for dioxins, acrylamide and pesticides, accredited sampling and transportation, counselling, etc. They also regularly organise trade days, seminars and conferences, including one of the most important food safety conferences, Hungalimentaria. Bureau Veritas Magyarország Kft.’s standard-themed courses and auditor trainings help food companies in complying with the new standard requirements. Bureau Veritas Certification developed the standard for meeting the GDPR requirements; the related certification services will be available in an accredited form from 2018. System certifications (IFS, BRC, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP+, HACCP) and services targeting agri-businesses can also be found in the company’s portfolio. //