Health is Always First
UniSpice is recognized worldwide for always being at the forefront of packaging technology, post-harvest handling, traceability, and consumer protection through rigorous quality control and safety systems in the cultivation and processing of food. This guarantees the safest product for the end consumer.
Committed to continuous improvement, food safety, health, work environment, well-being in the field, social responsibility, the environment and biodiversity, all processes are backed by the most prestigious certifications worldwide, such as Global G.A.P., BRC (British Retail Consortium) and SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit), among others.
Guided by its governing values of “ Always growing, Never give up, Challenge the impossible and Always do the right thing”
, UniSpice recognized its responsibility to ensure that consumers can trust the safety and quality of all its products. This is why for 16 consecutive years, we have achieved the highest score in the BRC audit, the global food safety standard that includes compliance with requirements such as:
“Certification: a way to govern without government”
Voluntary sustainability standards like Global Gap, Fairtrade International, Leaf, Smeta, Brc, Rainforest Alliance and many others are seen as a form of ‘governance without government’.”
FRUIT LOGISTICA TREND REPORT 2020DO THE RIGHT THING
• Good manufacturing practices
• Critical control points
• Process documentation
• Integrated pest management
• Appropriate facilities
• Trained competent personnel
• Microbiological control
• Full Traceability
• Integrated claims management
• Equipment maintenance
• Correct storage
• Appropriate logistics control
QUALITY, SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY
UniSpice has implemented processes and policies throughout its production chain to consistently guarantee safety and quality. Starting with the growers in the field, who must comply with the contractual conditions and the specifications of the product provided; followed by the processing centers and warehouses, which meet the strictest food quality standards, and including the whole network of suppliers of goods and services, so that everything is fully traceable.
GLOBAL G.A.P. is the internationally recognized standard under which UniSpice certfies its agricultural production in the fiel, both from its farms and that of small growers. Our goals are: To ensure safe, efficient and sustainable production in order to benefit both growers and consumers; improve business performance and reduce the waste of necessary recourses; as well as bring into focus the development of best practices for future generations. This certification covers:
• Food safety
• Regulation, management and traceability
• Environmental sustainability and biodiversity
• Worker health, safety and well-being
• Integrated Crop Management
• Integrated Pest Management
• Production processes
• Quality Management Systems
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
During its 31 years of operation and as part of its mission, UniSpice has prioritized guaranteeing its employees and collaborators a safe wok environment. It includes the office administrative staff, personnel in the processing facilities, warehouses, assembly centers and farms. This is why, every year we are certified in SMETA, an audit methodology that uses the Base Code of the Ethical Trade Initiative and the local Guatemalan law as its monitoring standards. This year 2022, UniSpice achieved again a report with zero non-compliance. The SMETA audit includes the following:
• Labour Standards
• Health & Safety
• Human Rights
• Management Systems
• Environment
• Business ethics
References consulted and Websites
- LSMETA https://www.sedex.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SMETA-6.1-BPG-Spanishversion. pdf SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the audit methodology created by the Sedex membership to give a central agreed audit protocol, which can be confidently shared. Created by the Sedex Associated Auditor Group, now renamed the Sedex Stakeholder Forum (SSF) and involving multi-stakeholder consultation, it draws from practices defined by Sedex members and by the Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP).
- GLOBAL G.A.P. https://www.globalgap.org/es/for-producers/globalg.a.p./integrated- farm-assurance-ifa/ with more than 700 certified products and more than 200,000 growers in more than 135 countries, we have a foundation that is both strong enough to build trust and integrity, and flexible enough to stimulate innovation and excellence.
- BRC https://www.brcgs.com/our-standards/food-safety/ The BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard has set the benchmark for nearly 25 years. Adopted by over 22,000 sites in more than 130 countries, the standard is accepted by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, 60% of the top 10 quick-service restaurants, and 50% of the top 25 manufacturers.
