This international day is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe.
While food safety and quality has always been our top priority, it is more important than ever in the midst of the Coronavirus.
SuperValu have a dedicated team that continuously assesses product food safety and quality to ensure that we go above and beyond to meet the highest standards in our stores and across our supply chain. On any given day, our team can be visiting stores or producers, inspecting products in our distribution centres or evaluating the quality of an Own Brand product.
To ensure that we meet the highest standards, we put ourselves forward to be independently assessed and are currently in the process of rolling out the New Musgrave Retail Food Safety audit program. All SuperValu stores are approved to an External Accredited Standard for Food Safety, which makes SuperValu the only Irish retailer with the largest number of independently audited stores. All our distribution centres are in the process of rolling out the GFSI recognised FSSC 22000 certification for completion of accreditation by end of year 2020. In addition, our distribution centres independently hold other accreditations including BRC a Global Standard for Food Safety, Hygiene & Food Safety standards and Organic Certificates issued by Organic Trust Ltd which permits the distribution and supply of organic products.
Each of our SuperValu stores also has a dedicated Food Safety Champion to ensure all colleagues are fully trained in food safety principles in addition to the specifics of their role. Beyond our colleagues, we also ensure that all of our Own Brand suppliers has been audited against a comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Supplier Standard, reviewing all of the product controls, food safety and quality operations being carried out by these food producers. Wherever we can go above and beyond, we do. For example, we have additional measures in place for all of our SuperValu Fresh Meat to ensure that it is 100% Irish and Bord Bia approved traceable back to the Irish Farms of Origin.
Given the situation we now find ourselves in, additional measures have been put in place across our store network and supply chain to bolster our efforts in safeguarding customers, colleagues and suppliers in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. A variety of social distancing initiatives, santisation, product safeguarding and protective measures have been put in place, with SuperValu leading the market by setting new standards like when we were the first grocery retailer to rollout plexiglass across our store network.
All of this combined means that SuperValu can always guarantee that the safest, freshest, best quality products are always available to you our customers. From the Butcher at the meat counter to the Food Producers behind our Own Brand range, all are dedicated to maintaining the highest food safety and quality standards. We are also keen to promote the important role that you as our customer has to play in keeping food safe when you return home and have a guide available here to ensure that the meals you prepare are made to the highest standards.
