Quality standards and procedures are constantly being reviewed to ensure that they are up to date. In this way we can satisfy the requirements of Customers, Consumers and relevant national, international and EU legislation on Food Safety, and can demonstrate that all reasonable precautions are taken and due diligence is exercised in the manufacture of Uniq plc products. Our assurance of food safety for all our products is managed using HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) systems as recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The following is a summary of our Company Quality Assurance Procedures:

1. Specifications and Standards

Specifications are prepared for each product to include raw materials, packaging, processing and finished product. These are established before the launch of a new product and are regularly reviewed for existing products.

Standards for microbiological, physical, chemical and sensory parameters are set to meet legal, safety and general quality requirements.

Hygiene standards for personnel, environment and plant and equipment have been established at each manufacturing site.

2. Quality Systems

Documented procedures exist to demonstrate and ensure management control at all stages of production.

Some of our manufacturing sites are approved to the ISO 9000 Quality Management System Standard and all the sites operate Quality Management Systems appropriate to their operations. In the UK all relevant sites are certified against the BRC Technical Standard.

Quality systems include:

• Vendor rating and ongoing review of all suppliers
• The use of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) evaluation for all processes and products
• Schedules for laboratory and QC testing
• General and specific product audits
• Laboratory Accreditation (UK sites) or other laboratory verification systems
• Labelling and Advertising control and approval
• Environmental Hygiene
• Product and Ingredient Traceability
• Product Hold and Recall Procedures where necessary
• Regular shelf life evaluation and confirmation
• Temperature control during processing and refrigeration of product before despatch and throughout distribution

3. Monitoring

To ensure that the systems are operating and that the required standards and specifications are consistently achieved, an extensive monitoring programme is continually maintained by:

Microbiological, Chemical and Physical Analysis
Specific Pathogen Testing
Sensory Analysis
Shelf Life Testing
Customer and Consumer Complaints Monitoring
Product Analysis of Nutritional and Special Label Declarations
Abnormal Results Reporting
Independent Food Safety and GMP Reviews by Central Technical staff to ensure compliance with HACCP Critical Control Points and Group Operating Procedures

Records are maintained as part of this monitoring programme to demonstrate due diligence and by trend analysis to identify any product or process improvements.

4. Health and Hygiene

All personnel have medical checks at the time of employment and as necessary during employment. Protective clothing is worn in all food production areas.

Standards for environmental control and plant and equipment hygiene are maintained and monitored, using cleaning and detergent systems, including automated clean-in-place equipment, and plant sterilisation where appropriate to achieve regular and effective sanitation.

5. Public Health Safety

Where safety of products is critical and requires special control, high risk procedures are applied in segregated areas which include additional personnel hygiene and protective clothing changes, air filtration and isolation of raw materials by barrier control.

These controls are regularly assessed and reviewed by microbiological experts using HACCP evaluation and audits.


6. Training

Management, Technical and Hygiene Training, using formal courses and on-the-job training, is of paramount importance in maintaining quality standards. It is our Policy to train all permanent staff to the Environmental Health Basic Hygiene Certificate (or equivalent).

7. Legislation

All our products are manufactured and supplied to comply with the EU and appropriate national/international food safety legislation.

8. Facilities and Resources

Many of our manufacturing and processing sites have fully equipped laboratories and quality control facilities for routine microbiological, chemical and physical analysis, operated by technically trained and qualified staff.

More sophisticated analyses (microbiology and chemistry) testing are carried out by approved and audited external contract testing laboratories.

Our Group Technical Services Department provides expert help and advice covering food safety, environmental standards and control and technical information services.

9. Trade and Research

We contribute to and play a significant role in the instigation and control of appropriate research, trade negotiations and influence on the format of new UK and EU Food Regulations and Quality Standards through our membership and active participation in UK and other national Trade Committees and working groups and our membership of Food Research Associations such as Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association and Leatherhead Food International.