The Importance of Certasure
Food safety is a priority topic for consumers, government bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and manufacturers globally. The European General Food Law (GFL) establishes that all rules applicable to foodstuffs must be based upon risk assessment. The European food safety system as part of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has been created to protect against any type of physical, biological and chemical hazard in food and is well-respected globally. At the same time, any given food safety regulation is only as good as the feasibility of its implementation and enforcement.
Sensient ensures proactive, preventive measures to manage food safety. Our Certasure™ self-certification process is more important than ever. Since ingredients from plant-based sources could inherently be prone to some food safety concerns, a comprehensive quality program is imperative. Following the lead of Dr. James E. Simon and a group of leading food scientists and safety experts, we launched our Certasure™ program—an integrated food safety program for botanical colourants.
In an assessment of 500 natural colour materials from around the globe, Sensient’s Certasure™ program failed 1 out of 4 natural raw material samples for either microbiological contamination, adulteration, heavy metal content, pesticides, or residual solvents. That statistic is alarming, and what food and beverage manufacturers should be most aware of is that these failed batches may still end up being sold into the market. It should not be this way!
It is up to suppliers to ensure that raw materials from botanical sources are safe and authentic. Yet how well are suppliers testing to guarantee product safety? Testing is quite a task. Considering the analytical technology and equipment needed, it can be very cost-intensive, especially for small-scale suppliers with limited capabilities. While a robust quality department and food safety program is an investment, the potential of a brand’s recall can be significant and the impact to brand reputation even greater.
Food manufacturers must have peace of mind when formulating with plant-based ingredients, and we are here to assure you that raw materials used in natural colours from Sensient are guaranteed safe and authentic.
The expertise and depth of our quality assurance department is a huge asset in the natural colouring business. It’s been a focus area for Sensient from our beginning and has been building ever since. Food safety is a passionate topic for us and we welcome any conversation. You can contact us below should you have any questions about the Certasure™ program.
