Family-owned Grimsby seafood firm, JCS Fish, has become one of the first businesses in the Humber cluster to achieve accreditation to the new Issue Eight of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety.
Auditing to the new standard started in February and the Murray Street operation undertook its annual BRC audit in the same month, receiving its AA Grade certificate.
The BRC Global Standard for Food Safety is the most widely used of the commercial standards for assuring production of safe food, and a universal benchmark set by the 海角视频’s major retailers to identify suitable suppliers.
Director Louise Coulbeck said: “It has been a great first quarter for our business, we’re a close-knit team and it is a pleasure when we continue to achieve important accreditations such as our BRC AA status, which is a stiff test even for much larger organisations than our own.”
Launched in 2000, the £7 million turnover business was first accredited in 2008, with a first AA status in 2017. It specialises in the processing and supply of salmon products and continues to grow both its foodservice business and its retail BigFish Brand.
The 40-strong team recently achieved an important new listing for its BigFish Salmon Fillets and Smoked Salmon products in As Nature Intended, a fast-growing London-based natural foods retailer with six outlets.
Quality manager, Ann Rogers, oversees the process. She said: “The new BRC regime proved tougher than any of those we’ve done before, with nine sections rather than the previous seven and an even stronger emphasis on achieving the right food culture in a business. I am so proud of the whole team, whilst QA is responsible for documents and training, we couldn’t achieve these standards without the co-operation and enthusiasm of everyone at JCS Fish.”
Sustainability has been at the fore too. The company recently took delivery of six new branded anti-slip mats made with Econyl, a nylon yarn made from 100 per cent recycled plastics, including discarded fishing nets.
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Designed with the BigFish logo, the new dirt-trappers have been installed around the JCS Fish site, including in the factory shop.
Fishing net waste is a big part of the ocean plastic problem and the United Nations estimates that every year around 640,000 tonnes of nets - known as ‘ghost gear’ - are lost or discarded. Aside from pollution, lost nets can also result in the accidental trapping, injury and death of marine animals such as seals, dolphins and turtles.
Ann said: “As a fish company we are particularly conscious of the ocean plastics issue so we were delighted to discover that we could choose a hygiene solution made from recycled fishing nets. It’s a small step but part of our bigger programme to reduce plastic use and increase recyclability in everything we do at JCS Fish.”
JCS Fish continues to work on its plastic-reduction agenda, last year discarding plastic entirely for its BigFish fish cake range, which is now packaged in wholly recyclable cardboard. The company expects to introduce further plastic reduction solutions during the year.