Printing company, Herbert Walkers, has been awarded a British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRCGS) AA certification; the highest possible rating for food safety and compliance.
Herbert Walkers is a specialist in printing packaging, and delivers projects for a wide range of food, confectionary and drinks brands and retailers. The company has a high level of accreditation, including SMETA, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, as well as undergoing regular client quality and food safety audits, ensuring its processes and compliance are regularly reviewed by external assessors. Herbert Walkers’ AA rating follows an annual BRCGS audit in December 2022, and the accolade set the company apart for reaching the highest possible standards, building on the company’s A rating last year.
Mike Lammas, managing director of Herbert Walkers explains: “Certification is very important to us at Herbert Walkers because it not only gives our customers complete peace of mind that we are consistently meeting high standards, but the audit process enables us to monitor our own performance and identify any opportunities for improvement.
“The BRCGS audit is a very rigorous two-day verification of all our processes and working environments, focusing on hygiene standards. Every aspect of our cleaning regimes and record keeping was assessed in detail and our AA rating confirms to customers that they can expect every item that leaves our print factory to be clean, with full traceability and no contaminants.”
BRCGS certification is implemented at more than 22,000 sites in over 130 countries. The standard is accepted by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, 60% of the top 10 quick-service restaurants, and 50% of the top 25 manufacturers. Developed with input from industry, it provides a framework that supports food safety and operational best practice.
Mike adds: “We are delighted to have been awarded an AA certification this year, it’s an achievement that reflects the hard work and vigilance of the whole team and we would like to thank all our staff for helping us to meet exacting AA standards.”