Auditing/Certification
- SEAFOOD COLLABORATORS
Auditing/Certification
Complexity in the value chain is rising. Consumers, customers, governments, NGOs and the media are all demanding more. More verification, transparency and data. On human rights, IUU, traceability, quality, animal welfare and a host of other topics. The result? A bewildering explosion of (sometimes duplicative) standards, global initiatives, pre-competitive collaborations, improver programs, certification requirements and government regulations.
Wherever you sit in the seafood supply chain, in whatever country, you may sometimes feel overwhelmed. Supermarkets, retailers, importers and food service may be uncertain what programs to include in their sourcing policies. Suppliers may struggle to meet requirements or navigate multiple audits.
What makes Seafood Collaborators uniquely positioned to assist you in your goals and needs? We get it. We’ve been there. On farms, fishing boats and plants around the world. We’ve been both auditee and the auditor, the buyer who sets procurement policies, and the supplier and importer that must comply. We’ve run certification bodies and worked for standards owners and pre-competitive collaborations. Our staff have worked for decades training wild and aquaculture producers, buyers and auditors worldwide to help take the mystery out of all of this.
Take a look at some examples of the various third-party certification, benchmarking and ratings organizations there are for food safety, the environment, social responsibility, workplace safety, best practice, and more. (To say nothing about first- and second-party standards).
Yes, it’s challenging. What’s more, these programs expand over time and get stricter, raising the bar. Why? Well, one thing a lot of people don’t know is the pressure they are under from NGOs, the marketplace, media, and others to improve to ensure they remain relevant, robust, and credible.
Whether you struggle to understand the differences between all of these, have non-conformities or gaps that need addressing, need to develop or update your sourcing or certification policies, or want to expand your knowledge and engagements – we are here for you! Versed in GSSI, FIP platforms, Seafood Watch, BRC, MSC COC, SMETA, GFSI and others, we’ve helped all types of organizations create meaningful corporate policies around the oceans of options out there.
Development, update, assessment/gap analysis, corrective action, training or consultation across the broad scope of topics (social responsibility, food safety, GMPs, quality, traceability, environmental and so on):
Corporate programs/systems
Vessel, processing plant, farm or feed mill facility compliance
Corporate certification policies
Sourcing policies
Marketing – effective messaging of your programs to help sales
Non-conformity preventive and corrective action consultation
Risk assessment
Root cause analysis
