ISO QA – Here to help with SALSA certification

Preparation is the key to attaining all industry certifications and standards: understanding what the criteria are and planning how to meet and evidence them is critical for the path to success.

This will currently be food for thought for many of the Island’s small food and drink producers or suppliers who may want to access the shelves at Tesco following the retailer’s buyout of Shoprite stores. Like most big supermarkets, Tesco has certain food safety standards that suppliers must meet. For producers of branded products in the Isle of Man, the safe and Local supplier Approval (SALSA) will become a minimum requirement.

The good news for local producers is that ISO QA can help your business to get ready to meet this standard. Although the actual certification must be carried out by approved SALSA auditors, we can undertake a pre-assessment audit of your business to check that you are producing and supplying safe and legal food to the SALSA standard, or to advise where necessary of any steps you will need to take to achieve this.

This involves our usual process of carrying out an on-site visit to review and help you document your current processes and procedures, and to highlight any areas that do not meet SALSA requirements. We can then assist you to make any necessary process or procedural changes and ensure controls are implemented and verified prior to the official SALSA audit, allowing for a smooth transition from current practices to the updated controls required by the standard.

Like safety standards across all industries, gaining a recognised food safety certification can not only make it easier to open doors to future partnerships and supply chains, it’s also a badge of confidence for your consumers who will be reassured that you are meeting minimum food hygiene and safety standards. And no one is going to complain about that!