Transcript Slide 1
The certification scheme to meet the due-diligence needs of national buyers sourcing food from local producers
Origins of SALSA
• Began with informal discussions in 2004 instigated by the BRC • Need for a food safety standard for small businesses where BRC Global Standard was too ‘big’ or too ’expensive’ • Mustn’t be ‘BRC lite’ and perceived as less effective at delivering safe food to consumers • Words to avoid were ‘cheaper’, ‘easier’ • Invited ‘stakeholders’ to input ideas
Initial stakeholders consulted
• Retailers • Foodservice • Food Manufacturers • Farmers • Food Standards Agency • DEFRA • Food From Britain • Food Technology Centres • Small Business Service • NHS • Chartered Institute of Environmental Health • Institute of Food science and Technology • IMPROVE ( Food & Drink Sector Skills Council) • Forum of Private Business • University of Salford
Fundamentals
• product safety • product legality • supplier and buyer due-diligence • appropriate to small businesses
Stakeholder vision
• should be a
‘scheme’
and not just another standard • must
‘add value’
businesses to small businesses • minimal costs but within a controlled framework • managed by a professional, competent body • if possible, provide additional services to small
Partners in Joint Venture
Scheme structure
• Ownership - a Contractual Joint Venture between the four industry Partners • Governance - a Council chaired by Lady Sylvia Jay of Food from Britain • Run as a not for profit scheme by the owners • Scheme must become self-funding to be sustainable • Scheme operations contracted to credible food industry organisations • IFST (with SFQC as partner for Scotland)
Scheme objective • To provide the UK food industry with an appropriate food safety certification scheme for small and local producers that is reliable, affordable and effective.
Scheme objective
• Reliable – a standard that is accepted buy the UK food buying community as ‘fit for purpose’ and meeting their due-diligence needs.
• Affordable – reversing the current trend of making ‘large’ company supply unaffordable to ‘small’ producers • Effective – delivering tangible food safety improvements for Suppliers and building the confidence of Buyers
Operational requirements
• Needs to be a robust scheme accepted by national buyers from the different purchasing sectors • Must include a professional audit performed by a credible body of independent auditors who can provide sound technical guidance • Must be a low-cost and affordable approval process for small and local suppliers • Scheme must become self-funding to be sustainable • Must ensure the continued technical support of scheme participants
SALSA 12 months ago
• Funding received from Scottish Food & Drink, Highlands & Islands Enterprise in Scotland and DEFRA in England • Scheme developed and tested • Initial protocols and documents developed • Partly functioning website developed • SALSA launched at IFE in March 2007 • 14 successful pilot scheme participants in Scotland were awarded certificates in March and April 2007
The first SALSA Certificate at IFE
Progress since launch
• 70 auditors and mentors trained • Thirteen regional training events • Sponsored by FSA and stakeholders – SFQC – ASDA – Mitchells & Butlers – Elior – Sainsbury’s – 3663 • Auditor’s website pages launched • Additional protocols and documents developed • Feedback from auditors and mentors collected
SALSA Auditor and Mentor Applicants October 2007-2008
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Mentor Auditor Approved
SALSA at end of October 2008
1210 online registrations via website • Suppliers • Buyers • Auditors/Mentors 812 318 87
SALSA Registrations October 2007- 2008
1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Total Registered Registered Suppliers Registered Buyers
Suppliers at end of October 2008
•812 registered • 349 members •193 first audits •30 annual audits
SALSA Members and Audits October 2007-2008
400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Total Membership First Year Audits Annual Audits
Auditor & mentor approval
• IFST Register of Professional Food Auditors & Mentors • Pre-requisite • Demonstrates credible experience in given sectors • Demonstrates auditor qualification and experience • SALSA application form and declaration completed • Professional indemnity insurance certificate required • Attendance at a one-day training seminar • Annual registration to IFST - PFAM • Annual attendance of regional training seminar • No training fees in 2008 due to FSA sponsorship
Pricing policy from April 2008
• Supplier membership remains at £50 • First year audit increased to £450 (from £400) • Membership includes access to web-based information and resources and entry into SALSA directory • Audit fee includes cost of one audit, report and publication of certificate in Suppliers directory • Audit fee inclusive of local travel expenses • Annual membership £500 (including audit fee)
Pricing policy from April 2008
• Buyers still have free access to website limited to • News bulletins • SALSA directory • Mentor directory • Buyers encouraged (or asked) to sponsor SALSA • auditor & mentor regional training seminars etc • participation in the Technical Committee
The SALSA website
• designed to facilitate buyer access to local producers • designed to be simple and easy to use • SALSA directory of suppliers and approval status accessible to buyers • provides some free downloadable information • online membership of scheme for suppliers gives access to valuable information, guidelines, support and book an audit • directory of Mentors accessible to suppliers • ongoing development of additional services of benefit to suppliers and buyers (eg local services directory, local networking forums, access to local funding initiatives)
Some of the scheme supporters
Scheme membership
• supplier joins scheme on-line and pays £50+vat • SALSA directory entry activated • access to additional support documents • access to local mentors • access to funding for mentors and support
Audit booking
• supplier orders and pays for audit online (£450+vat) • SALSA match supplier with a local auditor with correct sector qualifications and experience • auditor contacts supplier to check readiness and offer advice • auditor will arrange the audit to suit supplier within 28 days
Audit performance
• standard duration on-site audit is one half-day • auditor records findings on checklist and assesses level of performance prior to a wash up meeting • auditor raises and discusses items for action or improvement and prepares an action plan with supplier • auditor and supplier sign action plan as an agreement
Supplier approval
• SALSA operations make approval decision based on auditor’s recommendation and a review of supplier’s returned action plan • if approved, certificate of is placed in directory and report emailed to supplier • if not approved, no certificate in directory but report still issued – supplier re-applies for audit when ready • supplier given further advice by SALSA operations regarding further support and resources available
Benefits
• The scheme is owned by the industry bodies who have a direct interest in supplier development and improvement • The scheme allows small product and ingredient manufacturers to provide assurance of food safety and increase their access to larger customers • The scheme provides a robust certification using a standard that is appropriate and proportionate to the size of the producer – effectively, an alternative to BRC Global Standard • The scheme addresses the increasing demand by consumers for local and regional foods
Benefits
• The scheme fulfils the requirements of the Government’s sustainability strategy
and
its Public Sector Procurement Initiative • The scheme will discourage the proliferation of similar standards • The scheme provides a route to supportive funding and a means to measure the effectiveness of funded projects