7 March 2013
South African food assurance company Food Safety Assessment has been acquired by British product-testing group Intertek, the company announced on Monday.
The deal will expand London-headquartered Intertek’s capacity and allow it to provide auditing, training and certification to food producers and manufacturers both in South Africa and in the rest of the sub-Saharan African region.
“By combining Intertek’s global presence and capabilities with FSA’s position as a leader in food supply chain assurance in southern Africa, we can extend a full service solution to the food industry,” Intertek’s senior vice president of food services, Chetan Parmar, said in a statement.
FSA has built a reputation for its auditing services to the retail and food services industries, particularly with food safety management services.
The deal will enable FSA to support its customers’ international food supply chain needs, and Intertek to support its global clients operating in sub-Saharan Africa.
FSA will also be able to offer a larger number of accredited certifications, including ISO 22000 (Food Safety), FSSC 22000 (Food Safety), HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems) as well as Good Catering Practices, Workplace Conditions Assessment.
“FSA has a service focus dedicated to adding progressive value to customers products and processes, supporting their success in the global and local markets,” said a managing member of FSA, Donna Crockart.
“Increased consumer awareness, globalisation and the demand for safe food has led the food industry to demand more food safety management systems,” Parmar said.
“This, coupled with local and international developments within African markets, has led to an increasing demand for local quality services within a global framework.”
SAinfo reporter
