The food products sector is an industry branch concerned with the production, processing, packaging, and distribution of food and consumer products.
The food sector encompasses a range of processes from the production of food and beverage products to their distribution from farm to table. In this sector, food products are cultivated, processed, packaged, and distributed. Restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, and companies producing food products are all part of this sector.
Importance of The Food Products Sector
Certification and accreditation in the food products sector provide significant benefits such as reliability, quality control, compliance with laws and regulations, market access, customer trust, competitive advantage, and sustainability. For these reasons, businesses often participate in such programs to validate their products and processes and instill confidence in consumers.
Certification or accreditation in the food products sector is of great importance for many reasons:
Ensuring Food Safety: Certification and accreditation help ensure the safety and quality of food products.Businesses that meet certain standards and pass audits prove that their products are safe and reassure consumers.
Quality Control: Certification verifies that products meet certain quality standards. This shows that products are manufactured to high standards in terms of consistency and quality and increases consumer satisfaction.
Compliance with Laws and Regulations: Certification in the food products sector is important to ensure compliance with local and national laws and regulations. Businesses must meet these standards and comply with the requirements.
Market Access: For businesses planning to do business in international markets, certification can facilitate the entry of products into foreign markets. Many countries require imported food products to meet certain standards and certifications.
Customer Trust: Certification helps consumers distinguish between businesses they trust. Consumers trust and prefer certified products more.
Competitive Advantage: Certification can give businesses a competitive advantage. A certified business can gain an edge in the quality and safety of its products, which can help it attract more customers in the market.
Certification Services Provided by USB Certification
BRCGS Food Safety: BRCGS is a certification program related to food safety. This program provides guidance to food production and processing businesses to ensure their compliance with food safety standards and improve product quality. BRCGS certification is widely used to reassure consumers and ensure food safety.
BRCGS Gluten-Free: This is a certification program that verifies that products are gluten-free. It is especially important for consumers with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Products that receive this certification show that they comply with a specific gluten-free standard.
BRCGS Plant Based: It is a certification program that verifies that products are plant-based (vegetarian or vegan). Products that receive this certificate indicate that they contain no animal ingredients and are plant-based.
BRCGS Start!: BRCGS START! is an beginner-level food safety standard for businesses that are not ready to implement the full BRCGS Food Safety Standard. It provides a good start in understanding and applying basic food safety principles. It can also be used in supplier audits and provides guidance for suppliers to improve.
IFS Food: IFS Food is a food safety and quality standard for businesses involved in the production, processing and distribution of food products. The purpose of this standard is to guide businesses to improve the safety, quality and compliance of food products and reassure consumers. IFS Food certification helps businesses to prove their product safety, quality and compliance at an international level. Implementation of this standard involves regular audits and requires businesses to verify that they meet certain standards.
IFS Progress – Food: IFS Progress – Food is a food safety and quality program designed for smaller businesses and start-ups. It gives businesses a starting point to develop their food safety and quality management systems and achieve compliance with key standards. IFS Progress – Food provides a roadmap for businesses to prepare for the larger and more complex IFS Food certification. This program encourages businesses to improve their food safety and quality and helps them deliver more reliable products to consumers.
FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification 22000): FSSC 22000 is a certification program that assesses food safety management systems and practices. This standard focuses on ensuring the safety and quality of food products. FSSC 22000 is a GFSI approved certification program.
ISO 22000: ISO 22000 is an international standard that defines food safety management systems. Businesses can improve food safety by having their compliance with this standard verified.
BeVeg: BeVeg is a certification program used for certifying vegan products. This certification confirms that products do not contain animal ingredients.
Consumer Products
The consumer products sector is an industry branch concerned with the production, processing, packaging, and distribution of consumer products.
