Food Safety Accreditation

Black Mamba Food Safety Accreditation

The importance of food safety seems pretty obvious, so why have a whole international awareness day for it? Let’s start with the basics. An estimated 600 million people fall ill every year after eating contaminated food. If you’ve ever had food poisoning after eating something less than fresh, you know how awful it feels when food safety protocols aren’t properly observed. 

Food safety is not just about hygiene in the kitchen though. It starts on the farm and is actually quite a complex process with many stages that range from harvest, to production, to processing, to the final stop at the consumer - your food on your plate. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the only international organisation overseeing food safety along the entire chain and they work tirelessly with WHO to safeguard global food safety and consumer health. 

So what does food safety look like? Environmental factors like pollutants and chemicals can affect food during its growth stage. Once harvested, it then needs to be stored and transported correctly to avoid contamination from mould, animals, chemicals and other sources, as well as to prevent decay. Once it reaches the processing stages there are more handling protocols and hygiene practices to keep that food safe all the way from the farm to your fork.

Black Mamba has an FSSC22000 certification, and we get audited each year by SGS (a leading testing, inspection and certification company). The FSSC 22000 is an internationally-recognised standard for food safety that protects brands and safeguards public health. The entire supply chain is included in a single certification, making FSSC 22000 the most comprehensive and accessible food safety management system available.

The FSSC 22000 food safety scheme is an independent, ISO-based safety standard that promotes transparency throughout the food supply chain. It is based on the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System standard. The certification follows key management systems standards which include quality management, occupational health and safety, and environmental management. 

In short, the FSSC 22000 incorporates existing standards (ISO 22000 including HACCP, sector-specific PRPs, and additional FSSC requirements); is a complete certification program in one package; it is owned by an independent non-profit organisation, as well as being fully approved and recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

In other words, this food safety accreditation ensures that we comply with every single aspect to make our products not only delicious and healthy but absolutely safe to eat and enjoy!