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We provide a wide range of food safety training, auditing and consulting services to the food, beverage and health industries in South Africa.

FSMS and Food Science
Consulting Services

Do you need to implement any of the following Food Safety Management Systems?

BRCGS, FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, GLOBALG.A.P., HACCP, GMP, GFSI INTERMEDIATE, IFS and more...

We have a qualified pool of consultants who have implemented, audited, and been audited on all the above standards.

FSMS schemes revise and issue new standards usually every three years, and food legislation and customer requirements are forever changing.

We can assist with updating and upgrading any FSMS to comply with the latest standard, legislation and customer requirements.

We always keep abreast of the latest industry developments and updates.

We offer a convenient service to clients who do not have the means to employ highly qualified food safety and quality management system experts.

Maintaining and updating an FSMS after certification is always a challenge.

We have an affordable and convenient solution called "the consultant retainer packages".

Our retainer packages allow clients access to a consultant who will help with the continual update and maintenance of the FSMS.

SIZA Social audits involves “ethical business practices and socially responsible management systems”. 

SIZA Environmental audits focuses on how operations impact the environment and its sustainability.

We assist companies with both SIZA Ethical and SIZA Environmental compliance.

DID YOU KNOW?

Both SIZA audits make reference to South African legislation. For example, SIZA Social refers to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Labour Laws, while SIZA Environmental refers to the National Environmental Management and related Acts.

The SIZA Self-Assessment Questionnaires are completed before the first SIZA audit and annually. Auditors use the SAQs to verify information when they visit the site.

Due to the technical nature of some questions, clients sometimes struggle to complete these questionnaires and supply the required information.

We help our clients with the completion of the SIZA SAQs to ensure they are fully compliant and thus receive higher scores.

The GlobalG.A.P. Chain of Custody Standard addresses the traceability of the product from farm to fork.

It aims to assure customers that the GlobalG.A.P. status claim on the product sold is legitimate. In other words, when there is a claim that the product sold to consumers has been harvested, packed, and handled in a GlobalG.A.P. certified facility, this would need to be proven.

We can assist with the GlobalG.A.P. CoC implementation requirements and the completion of the self-assessment questionnaire.

We help our clients in the food, beverage and health industries with food technology guidance on complex issues such as:

  • New product development
  • Export arrangements
  • Testing
  • Verification
  • Nutritional information guidance
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Labelling

We assist retail stores by compiling tailor-made in-house hygiene, GMP and housekeeping programmes.

We also perform in-house audits and compile detailed audit reports with recommendations for corrective and preventative measures.

Most food businesses in South Africa must have a Certificate of Acceptability, as regulated by Regulation R638, to trade.

Food business owners can apply for a Certificate of Acceptability from their local authority (municipality). A health inspector will visit the facility before they issue the COA.

If you are not sure if your food premises comply with the requirements, get in touch with us for some valuable advice!

Shelf-life studies help food manufacturers to substantiate a product's shelf life and if it is possible to extend the shelf life. This is a regulatory requirement in many jurisdictions.

Shelf-life studies also play a vital role in new product development. It is much more than meeting the regulatory requirements of labelling the product with an expiry date, best before date, etc. Shelf-life studies are also important for product quality, consumer safety and can even improve overall profitability.

Our team can help you with your shelf-life studies. We look at the following key parameters:

  • Biological profile.
  • Organoleptic properties.
  • Physical characteristics.
  • Nutritional properties.
  • Method of packing and packaging material.

We have partnered with laboratories accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard and use the latest scientific methods and methodologies to conduct reliable shelf-life studies.

Food Industry regulation can be complex and confusing. 

Our team of consultants can help you make sense of it all. 

We provide practical and professional product, industry-related and business-specific regulatory advisory services to ensure your business achieves full regulatory compliance.

 We assist in identifying current national and global regulations for foods, supplements, animal feed, ingredient approvals and the use of health claims. To only mention a few.

Microorganisms are ever-present in food handling environments, and monitoring for the presence of harmful pathogens plays an essential part in any food handling enterprise. Environmental monitoring can help you determine the food handling environment’s general hygiene levels and how effective your cleaning programs are.

We provide the following environmental monitoring services:

  • Help food handling enterprises to implement effective environmental sampling programs.
  • Identify high-risk areas.
  • Taking test samples.
  • Recommendation on what test samples should be taken.
  • Interpreting test results.
  • Identification of pathogens.
  • Determining the sources of pathogens.
  • Recommendations for preventive and corrective actions where necessary.
Training

We offer the following basic Food Safety training:

  • Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises Course (HPCSA Accredited)
  • Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises Course (FOODBEV SETA Accredited)
  • Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers Course
  • Basics for Food Handlers Course (FOODBEV SETA Accredited)
  • Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Awareness Course

We offer the following GMP training:

  • Good Manufacturing Practices for Food Handlers Course
  • Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices Course

We offer the following HACCP training:

  • Introduction to HACCP Course
  • HACCP for Supervisors and HACCP Teams Course
  • HACCP the 12 Stages Course (HPCSA Accredited)
  • Advanced HACCP System Implementation  Course (HPCSA Accredited)

We offer the following FSMS training:

  • BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 9 Transition Course

  • Introduction to BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 9 Course

  • Implementation of BRCGS for Food Safety Issue 9 Course

  • Introduction to BRCGS for Packaging Materials Issue 6 Course

  • Implementation of BRCGS for Packaging Materials Issue 6 Course

  • Introduction to ISO 22000: 2018 Course

  • Implementation of ISO 22000: 2018 Course

  • Introduction to FSSC 22000 V5.1 for Food Manufacturing Course

  • Implementation of FSSC 22000 V5.1 for Food Manufacturing Course

  • Introduction to FSSC 22000 V5.1 for Food Packaging Manufacturing Course.

  • Implementation of FSSC 22000 V5.1 for Food Packaging Manufacturing Course

  • Introduction to GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 Course

  • Implementation of GLOBALG.A.P. IFA v6 Course

  • Introduction to IFS Course

  • Implementation of IFS Course

  • Introduction to GFSI Intermediate Course

  • Implementation of GFSI Intermediate Course

We offer the following GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody training:

  • A Basic Overview of the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody Standard and Certification Process Course
  • Implementation of the GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody Standard Course

We offer the following SIZA training:

  • Implementation of the SIZA Social (Ethical) Standard Course
  • Implementation of the SIZA Environmental Standard Course

We offer the following Food Microbiology training:

  • Introduction to Food Microbiology (for Non-Microbiologists) Course
  • Advanced Food Microbiology Course

We offer the following training:

  • Internal and Supplier Auditing Practices based on Food Safety Management Systems Course
  • Food Defence and Food Fraud Course
  • Food Safety Culture Course
  • Conducting a Root Cause Analysis in the Food Industry Course
  • Occupational Health and Safety Awareness for Food Premises Course
Auditing Services

We can assist with your scheduled FSMS internal auditing requirements, as well as pre-certification audits for FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, BRCGS, GlobalG.A.P., GFSI Basic & Intermediate, HACCP, IFS and more...

We help with the monitoring of ethical practices in business by conducting ethical audits on suppliers and offering pre-readiness certification audits for standards such as SIZA, SMETA, GRASP, etc.

Do you want to implement an FSMS or transition from one FSMS standard or certification to another? We conduct GAP audits to ensure seamless transition to your chosen FSMS. Our GAP audits are very effective, and save time and money.

Sourcing products and services from reputable suppliers are essential. We can assist you with compiling your supplier audit checklist and conducting the audit on behalf of your organisation.

Our GMP audits focus on premises and processes. Are you in the process of acquiring new premises or considering renovations for your food facility? A GMP audit can save you time, cost and frustration. It ensures compliance.

Our hygiene audit (inspection) focuses specifically on the facility's cleanliness, especially the food processing and food storage areas, as well as the hygiene practices of staff.

Public Health
Consulting Services

We have specialists who can assist with developing comprehensive health plans for assessing local needs and resources. It helps our clients have a deeper understanding of specific communities or groups they have an interest in.

It is vital to identify any needs and resources before the start of a project. 

Our well-developed and comprehensive health plans facilitate better planning, preparation and the efficient and optimal allocation of resources where it is needed to help improve the quality of life of the target communities or groups.

We provide research to find strategic solutions to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

We use our specialist skills and tools to research the problem in question, analyse its impact on communities, identify possible gaps and propose solutions to ensure maximum impact of the specific interventions to improve the quality of services.

We assist with defining research questions and objectives, matching the research question to strategy and design, and designing the research protocol.

ASC supports public health programmes to ensure the  programme achieves the desired outcome and reaches the targeted populations:

  • Project impact evaluation.
  • Monitoring and evaluation.
  • Train staff to enable them to conduct future monitoring and evaluation activities.

We provide meticulous public health policy research and analysis, ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of our research output.

We formulate effective public health policies based on understanding the critical needs and available resources of the target population.

Our health policy service includes interacting with local communities and other key stakeholders. We also assess the availability of resources and specific circumstances applicable to the country or community in question.

Environmental Health (EH) is a branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health.

Our professionals are qualified to monitor the safety of what we eat and drink. As part of our services, we provide consulting services in vector control, water and air pollution, communicable disease outbreaks, foodborne disease outbreaks, and the impact of environmental factors on human health.

We provide consultancy services in epidemiology by identifying and analysing public health issues and their impact on health policies and general public health.

Our speciality areas of interest include:

  • Epidemiology of foodborne illnesses and infectious diseases.
  • Incidence and prevalence of diseases.
  • Investigation of risk factors for health outcomes.
  • Risk assessment and management.
  • Outbreak investigation.
  • Disease surveillance and evaluation of public health surveillance systems.
  • Appropriate epidemiologic methodologies.
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