Your Bakery Merchandising and Marketing Specialists
The largest nonprofit resource site for professional pastry chefs and bakers
.
|
NAFSA North American Food Safety Associates |
|
For Immediate Release April 3, 2005
Industry Professionals Create NAFSAOne-Stop-Shopping to the Food Industry
A group of professionals recognized the need for NAFSA (North American Food Safety Associates) an organization that offers a one-stop convenient shopping solution for their clients.
The group offers a wide variety of expertise to the food industry. Their know-how includes GMP and HACCP programs, quality systems, auditing services, nutritional labelling, C-TPAT certification, coaching, and management/employee training. Further, the group offers cost effective marketing/merchandising plans and product development for bakeries and related businesses, retailers, and franchisors to improve margins and sales.
Let us have a closer look at these programs and how they may contribute to your business:
HACCP and GMP’s: GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) programs lead to improved food safety and new markets. Food safety is not an option anymore; it has become a requirement to do business with companies who are committed to deliver safe quality products to the end-users. A food safety program will open new doors to much larger accounts that were previously inaccessible.
Quality Systems: Companies usually have a quality system, but in most cases, it is not comprehensive and it is not formalized. Quality systems programs, consist of written and documented standards including raw materials, finished products, product development, food security crisis management, chemical control, hold procedures, and a supplier audit program. Quality programs reduce product inconsistencies and improve quality, certainly a requirement if we intend to enter new markets.
Platinum Audit Programs: A platinum audit program evaluates both the quality of food safety components of your quality management program and systems. Such a program is applicable to food processing, primary, and secondary packaging, distribution, retailing, food service and hospitality organizations. Depending on the company’s requirement, a consulting team can develop specific quality management audit programs and prepare clients for FPA audits. This may include a gap analysis, supplier audits to review quality management systems, review of specifications and looking to reduce incoming raw material testing where appropriate for cost savings.
Nutrition and Ingredient Labelling: Nowadays, consumers demand that all products carry proper labels. Partly because they have chosen to live healthier lives or they have special dietary needs due to medical and allergic reasons. A label that does not provide sufficient consumer information may lead to fewer sales and - in case of a serious allergic reaction - to litigation.
C-TPAT Certification: Companies exporting their products realize the benefits of supply chain security. With the current political unrest and threat of terrorism, transportation security has become very important. The C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) is a written program that includes procedural, physical, and personnel security. The program also includes education, training, and implementation. Further benefits include reduced boarder time, assigned account managers, access to C-TPAT membership lists and self policing instead of relying on customs verification.
Training/Coaching for Employees and Management: In many instances, management needs an outside perspective in regard to strategic planning, reporting structure, decision making, and purchasing policies. Alternatively, management may already have a plan, but needs an independent opinion. Coaching services may give management a new perspective on their business, help refocus, and pinpoint the blind spots that interfere with success.
Increase Profits and Sales: Particularly for the baking industry (and food processing in general), management constantly struggles with high food and labour costs. Management may know the problem but has difficulty doing anything about it. An independent consulting firm can help make companies more profitable through streamlining production and purchasing more efficiently. In the area of sales, companies may have difficulties finding new markets or they are reluctant to produce the products that customers want. This could be true for food service and retail accounts, regardless whether they are corporate of franchised operations.
A group of independent consultants can help management to refocus and open up new possibilities. Depending on management’s requirements, it may require merchandising and marketing plans that will help identify new sales opportunities. Alternatively, the business may need onsite plant/store audits, hands-on demonstrations, and an on-going coaching or training program. NAFSA concentrates its services and programs in the eastern and central parts of the United States and Canada.
Fur further information contact us at:
nafsa@caima.net or visit our website www.caima.net/NAFSA.htm
- ## -
Contact: Fred Bliedung, Tel: 905-528-8371
|