Prazdroj gains International Food Safety Certificate

“By gaining the ISO 22000 certificate, we have proved our ability to ensure food safety along the entire production and distribution chain. Hence, our customers and consumers are guaranteed that Plzensky Prazdroj products meet strict food safety requirements”, says Jiri Bohac, Plzensky Prazdroj’s Brewmaster.

Before the certification in April 2009, all risks and hazards with regard to food quality had to be carefully identified. The following implementation of the management system in line with ISO 22 000 was based, among other things, on the principles of the HACCP system, for which Prazdroj has been certified since May 2006. The great workload was managed successfully thanks to the fact that the Company had had previous management systems in place, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18 001.

“ISO 22000 is a new standard for which about a dozen Czech companies in the food industry have been certified to date. The system of food safety management implemented according to this standard helps us identify major risks and manage these effectively – both in terms of food safety and cost effectiveness. The ISO 22000 (and HACCP) implementation and certification has led to a change in approach – from retrospective testing to preventive thinking. It is a systemic approach which covers all aspects of the food chain, from the purchase of raw materials to the consumption of products.” Karin Ulrichova, Commercial Director, DET NORSKE VERITAS CZ.

ISO 22000 is a generally accepted reference standard for the entire food chain and all major international food producers are progressively pursuing compliance with it. Plzensky Prazdroj has followed this worldwide trend in all of its production operations (the breweries of Pilsen, Radegast, and Velke Popovice) as well as its sales and distribution facilities.

Plzensky Prazdroj has recently supported the quality of its products by investments in process equipment such as a new Pilsner Urquell brew house, and new cylindro-conical tanks in Pilsen and Velke Popovice. The Company also strives to improve the flavour stability of its beer, supporting it by, for example, the state-of-the-art technology of kieselguhr-free filtration, which employs membranes, and the new packaging lines in Pilsen, the construction of which also included the expansion of warehousing capacity.

Notes for editors:

• DNV (Det Norske Veritas) is an international provider of services in the area of management systems certification relating to quality, occupational safety, information security, etc. DNV also offers product certification services, technical and managerial consultancy with regard to risk management and, for example, ship classification. It has a 140 year-long tradition and has rendered its services to a number of international companies across a number of industries, including the food industry. DNV has been accredited by the Accreditation Council (RVA) – one of the oldest accreditation authorities, which is recognized all over the world.
• Amongst Czech brewers, Plzensky Prazdroj, a.s. has spearheaded the highest standards of quality and environmental protection represented by ISO certificates. The Company’s investments to enhance product quality and environmental protection amount to tens of millions of Czech Crowns a year. The Plzensky Prazdroj management trusts that these efforts will bring quick benefits for the Company.

Contact:
Jiri Marecek
Manager external communication
724 617 219

Pilsen