Barry Callebaut subjects its products to demanding standards and tests for taste, composition, technical properties and workability. They also comply with the most progressive food safety standards and legislation. These standards and the procedures aimed at meeting them and their verification represent the core of our quality guarantee for all products.
ISO 9001-2000
The certified ISO 9001 system provides Barry Callebaut with the methodology for developing standards and procedures, and ways to measure how well these standards are adopted and respected. Barry Callebaut’s Corporate Quality Management coordinates and ensures that the directives and guidelines of the Quality system are effectively implemented at a local level in the different sites. Independent and qualified auditors certify that local quality systems follow the international ISO 9001 – 2000 standard.
In addition to the ISO 9001 standard and on request of the retailers, a number of sites have also been certified according to BRC/IFS.
Hazard Analysis Critical Central Points (HACCP)
Barry Callebaut attaches enormous importance to clear guarantees in the area of food safety. According to the concept of risk analysis embedded in the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points philosophy the potential danger of chemical, physical, microbiological and allergen contamination for each type of processing or production process is mapped.
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
All factory and storage space and equipment used have been designed or are being adapted according to Good Manufacturing Practice standards. Examples of good practice are: The installation and design of new equipment follow well established procedures; wood is avoided in all production areas; cleaning schedules and cleaning products to be used are strictly defined in working instructions per site.
General hygiene
All employees and external cleaning personnel receive a hygiene brochure and intensive hygiene training which is regularly repeated and updated.
Identification and traceability
In order to guarantee the traceability of raw materials, semi-finished products and processed products, Barry Callebaut has developed its own identification system. This is centrally managed in an identification system (ERP).
Legislation and regulation
Barry Callebaut has integrated within the Quality System all legislative and regulatory standards that may be applicable to raw materials, semi-finished products, processed products, processes composition, and labeling in the country or region of production and for certain export countries.
It is Barry Callebaut’s policy to identify the most important and dangerous allergens in its raw materials and in its production processes - as listed in Codex Alimentarius - if present. Whenever possible, allergens are eliminated from production sites (e.g. peanuts and peanut derivatives), or replaced by a non-allergic alternative.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
Barry Callebaut has a GMO policy applicable to all its products worldwide. In Europe, Barry Callebaut uses ingredients of non-GMO origin. Products manufactured in Europe therefore do not require GMO labeling. For production in USA, Canada, Africa and Singapore, non-GMO ingredients can be used to manufacture products which do not require GMO labeling at the customer’s request.
Barry Callebaut also manufactures products which are certified by specific organizations. Examples are kosher, organic, Fairtrade or halal products. Specific procedures and checks have been developed. These are aimed at ensuring conformity with legislation, religious rules, directives or regulations regarding such products.
Product identification
Barry Callebaut applies uniform procedures for all sites for the composition of lot numbers and production codes for semi-finished and finished products. The function of these is to ensure fast, accurate traceability of all the products that the company manufactures.
Transport
Strict rules and procedures are applied for the loading and transport of both liquid and solid products.
Storage of Semi-finished and Finished Products
As well as ensuring that the design of storage locations and display follow GMP and HACCP standards, Barry Callebaut is known for rigorously maintaining the standards established for the storage of all raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products.
Control of finished products
Finished products are selected and analyzed at random for the following parameters: conformity with legal or other standards for aflatoxins, heavy metals and residues of pesticides/insecticides, traces of GMO; taste, smell, color, fat composition; viscosity; microbiological and chemical parameters.
Control of production processes
All production processes are monitored and - where relevant or possible - controlled via methods that deliver measurable results. The results must redeem the quality requirements of our customers and justify the continuity of the production process. These results are used to consolidate or improve the processes.
Supply and control of raw materials
Raw materials and packaging materials that are used in all our sites can only be purchased through Barry Callebaut approved suppliers. Each site develops and implements quality plans that define the parameters to which each raw material and packaging material must comply. These parameters include not only critical parameters specified by HACCP and GMP but also technical, sensory and compositional requirements against which the received raw materials can be evaluated.
