We would like to share some news that we’re very proud of. We’re HACCP Certified!
Though we’ve always followed HACCP guidelines, the past couple of years, Big Country Raw has been working tirelessly to achieve HACCP Certification through the Bureau Veritas, a world leader in audit and certification services. And we did so with a whopping 97% success, an unheard of score! To do so, we hired specialized staff, implemented new checks and procedures, created, documented, and validated our processes, and further trained our production, packaging, product development, sales and marketing staff. But why? What is HACCP and why is it important?
HACCP, (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), is a preventative system, developed in part by NASA, to address food safety, removing the risk of biological, chemical, and physical hazards, through analysis of production processes. We have analyzed all hazards applicable to our incoming materials such as raw meat, vegetables, packaging, etc. and we have developed a Food Safety Program that is compliant with SFCR (Safe Food for Canadian Regulations) and the FDA Food Safety Modernizations Act (FSMA) Preventative Controls for animal food.
HACCP certification, even in the human food industry, is not mandatory except for the meat, dairy and fish industries. To maintain this accreditation, a voluntary yearly third party audit is required. In recent years, the food industry has been challenged by seeing an increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria, a growing list of allergenic ingredients, as well as the concern of contamination through chemicals. Achieving HACCP certification prevents and controls such food safety concerns and minimizes food safety risks. HACCP allows us to confidently continue to offer our customers a safe product, protecting the life and health of their pets.
The next question – are all HACCP certifications created equal? There are literally thousands of agencies that can grant HACCP certification, but we purposefully chose Bureau Veritas for the high standards they set forth, their stringent auditing process, and their global and cross-industry presence. Founded in 1828, they specialize in testing, inspection, and certification. No other pet food manufacturer in North America has achieved certification by the Bureau Veritas.
What does all this mean for you and your pets? It means that now, more than ever, you can trust Big Country Raw to feed and nourish your pets, being assured that our products are manufactured, stored and distributed following Canadian food safety requirements.