Bord Bia to launch new processor standard
The standards are developed by Bord Bia, in consultation with farm organisations, Teagasc, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and other regulatory experts.
Bord Bia has developed a new Food Processor Standard (FPS), requiring processors to submit a sustainability plan for the next three to five years.
The new standard, which is designed to ensure adherence to best practice in food processing from intake through to dispatch, combines and replaces the Meat Processor Quality Assurance Standard (MPQAS) and the Prepared Fruit and Vegetable Standard (PFVS).
The FPS will become mandatory from November 15, 2022, but processors can opt to be audited against the new standard from May 15.
Speaking following the announcement, Alice McGlynn, Origin Green Head of Operations, said: “The new standard’s requirements are not vastly different from the previous schemes’ but there is greater emphasis on sustainability, food safety and for meat processors, animal welfare.
"To achieve certification to the standard, businesses will be required to have an independently verified sustainability plan in place, such as with Origin Green membership. The sustainability plan submitted must set targets and track progress over time.
"Members must also provide evidence of an appropriate food safety culture, which is a requirement of a new EU food safety regulation.”
The standard is structured into five core modules to allow members to tailor the scope of their certification to match their operations.
Modules A and B, covering food safety management and sustainability and product quality and Quality Mark logo use, are mandatory for any processor who wishes to use the Bord Bia logo on packs.
- Module C covers all aspects of meat processing from the lairage to cutting and mincing.
- Module D applies only to fruit and vegetable processing.
- Module E lays out requirements for further processing such as pasteurisation, smoking, and fermentation.
The standards are developed by Bord Bia, in consultation with farm organisations, Teagasc, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and other regulatory experts.
Ms McGlynn added: “From a marketing perspective, the new standard will demonstrate to national and global customers that Irish food processors are continuously evolving their practices to meet increasing market demands around sustainability, transparency, traceability, and authenticity, across all aspects of animal and food processing.”
