16 Aug Orley Foods achieves quality and safety pinnacle
Cape Town’s Orley Foods, the leading chocolate and confectionery ingredients company and maker of the legendary Orley Whip, has been awarded ISO 22000 certification. This internationally-recognised food safety management system incorporates HACCP and ISO 9001, providing a logical and efficient framework with which food hazards can be identified, controlled and, most importantly, prevented.
Long-time HACCP and ISO 9001 certified, Cape Town-based Orley Foods’ motivation to embark on the road to ISO 22000 was multifold, but notably it recognised that it is fast becoming the new norm in high-end global food manufacturing.
‘We already had a solid QC platform, but some of our multinational customers have made ISO 22000 a compulsory requirement for suppliers,’ notes Deon Ackhurst, Orley’s technical manager. ‘If you want to play in this league, you have to conform – and we are already enjoying the benefits of what, in its totality, is a powerful business improvement tool.’
He also cites the importance of having a global quality and safety ‘pass’: ‘ISO 22000 adds immeasurably to company credibility – and we are confident, too, that this will see a reduction in the number of disruptive and expensive third-party audits to which ingredient suppliers are subject,’ comments Deon.
In addition, he says Orley is now geared to meet the evidence-based demands of South Africa’s new regulatory environment created by the Consumer Protection Act and the requirements of R146, the new food labelling regulations.
Another positive issue is that ISO 22000 is designed to abet customer satisfaction, apt for a company whose mantra is ‘Your Food Solutions Partner’, as Deon explains: ‘The system puts major emphasis on both improving internal and external communication – this means that customer needs are better understood as their feedback is sought, analysed and acted upon. It really boosts our customer-centric approach.’
After a two-year exercise, Orley’s factory campus in Montague Gardens, Cape Town, passed its full audit and received ISO 22000 certification from the SABS in June 2011.
‘The quest for quality and safety is on ongoing and challenging journey for all food manufacturers – but if ever there’s a brief pause of achievement in this quest, it’s winning ISO 22000 certification. That said, one of the most important aspects of ISO 22000 is that new goals are set and continual improvement is achieved,’ says CEO Craig Henry. ‘This is a very proud and notable milestone in Orley’s fifty-year history and one that will significantly contribute to our future success and profitability.’
About Orley Foods: The Montague Gardens-based company serves several markets: bakery and confectionery, food service and hospitality, yoghurt and ice cream manufacturers, biscuit and cereal manufacturers, the beverage industry and retail and wholesale customers. Home industries make up an extensive second-tier customer base.
It boasts five production technologies: chocolate, Gemz (bake-stable, soft fruit cubes), fondant, non-dairy toppings and liquid sugar. Orley products find numerous applications: for coating, decoration, dipping, enrobing, filling, moulding, as inclusions, ingredients and toppings.
Photo: Celebrating their new ISO 22000 ticket: Lucien Thomas (QA manager), Deon Ackhurst (technical manager) and Craig Henry (CEO).
Related article: Happy 50th Birthday, Orley Foods!