Financial Times

SLAQ registered to develop food-safety operations
The Sri Lanka Association for Quality (SLAQ) said last week that its team of consultants will help develop and maintain systems in food-handling operations in an effort to promote ISO 22000 on food safety management systems (FSMS), commonly referred to as HACCP.

The consultants are qualified to assist in developing FSMS to attain the internationally-recognised certification. The service offered by SLAQ is under the National Food Safety Programme to support food-based operations, the association said.

It said the SLAQ’s ISO Forum has been promoting accredited certification in the food industry and this programme will support the food industry to become internationally acceptable as far as standards go.

“The SLAQ consultants are fully aware of international regulations, such as those from the European Union, World Trade Organisation and others practiced in countries such as the US (FDA), Japan, Australia, among others, and specific aspects, including chemical contaminants, pesticide residues and microbiological criteria,” the statement said.

SLAQ registered consultants operating under the guidance of an expert panel will provide the best advice to those who need assistance in developing FSMS for the specific food sectors.

The SLAQ said it will enforce a strict code of conduct so that certifications received meet all aspects of internationally accepted norms and maintain a high degree of independence. Any dispute between the client organisations and consultants will be investigated and resolved by an independent panel. The SLAQ website www.qualityasociation.org has more information on the scheme.

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