Concern over food safety has been front-page news in recent years, from mad-cow disease and genetically modified foods to Sudan red dyes. In response to these concerns, the food industry is active in trying to find solutions, which improve food safety. Robertson Winery has risen to the challenge!

Existing food safety tools include the HACCP code, BRC Global Food standard, the International Food Standard (IFS), the Safe Quality Food (SQF) protocol and EurepGAP standard.

The intention of ISO 22000 is to sit alongside the other existing food safety schemes and complement them by bringing a common language and understanding of how food safety should be managed all along the food chain to avoid hazards and ensure quality. According to the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), ISO 22000 is intended to ensure that there are no weak links in food supply chains.

“ISO 22000 specifies the requirements for a food safety management system in the food chain where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to provide consistently safe end products that meet both the requirements agreed with the customer and those of applicable food safety regulations.” Ref: First Published in British Standards Magazine (Oct 2005 Issue)

Although Robertson Winery is certified for both HACCP and BRC we decided to include ISO 22000 in our food safety management system. It is therefore with great pride that we can announce that we are the first Winery in the southern hemisphere to be certified for ISO 22000:2005 by the SABS in May 2007.

We believe that in terms of its international recognition, and its capacity to improve safety along the entire food chain, the ISO 22000 standard will offer benefits for everyone concerned, particularly the customer.

In addition to these food safety systems, Robertson Winery is also certified for ISO 9001:2000 and Wieta. All these systems ensure that we produce a safe and high quality product while improving the working conditions of our employees.