To proactively prepare food exporters and importers throughout Latin America to meet upcoming the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements on the sanitary transportation of human and animal foods, The Cambridge Business Group (TCBG) has succeeded in certifying members to the Sanitary Cold Chain’s TransCert (Transportation Certification) standards.
Headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, TCBG provides leadership and coordination among a Latin American network of food safety, quality, environment, occupational health and safety, laboratories, and information security consultants, inspectors and auditors.
“The TCBG network includes certified lead and external auditors in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Central America, Venezuela and Italy,” according to Jose Maria Quevedo Pearson, TCBG Americas, director.
“The TransCert system requires transportation suppliers to meet management, HACCP, sanitation, temperature monitoring, traceability and training standards” said Dr. John Ryan, president Ryan Systems and the Sanitary Cold Chain. TransCert standards provide a solid foundation for FSMA compliance and are also designed to help supply chain participants meet customer logistics requirements.
Shippers, carriers and receivers working toward TransCert certification are expected to access their current transportation food safety systems, develop procedures and work instructions, train their personnel, prepare for an external transportation food safety audit and become TransCert certified. Certification allows successful participants to carry the “TransCert Certified” logo on reefers, containers and other food carrying containers.
“By using the TransCert “Container Checklist,” any company or a TransCert auditor can help shippers to establish baseline data that provides a preliminary needs assessment” said Ryan. TransCert has also established an online library of self-paced training modules to help move clients towards a position designed to help them pass the certification audit. External auditor certification training is provided in English and Spanish. Training attendees receive a certificate for inclusion in their training documentation. The Sanitary Cold Chain also provides sample forms, logs and checklists as well as document control system guidance materials to Sanitary Cold Chain members.
The Sanitary Cold Chain has also recently signed an agreement with a Canadian-based group to provide similar services for Canadian growers, shippers, carriers and importers.
Training modules can be found at http://transcert.litmos.com/online-courses. The Sanitary Cold Chain (http://www.SanitaryColdChain) is a division of Ryan Systems, Inc.
