The Vetipak site in Zeewolde is home to our successful long-term partnership with Bakker Logistics, part of the STEF group. It’s also where we work for Dynamic Products Factory, which develops creative products for the retail sector. We recently ensured that a multitude of party items in 3,300 displays reached their destinations with a well-known German retail chain. We joined forces to run the whole process from A to Z for D.P. Factory.
“Top brands entrust their unwrapped products to us”
Food safety is a major theme in the food industry. This is also an important matter for us as a packaging company, particularly when working with unwrapped products. We must prevent the unintentional contamination of products with undesirable substances at all costs.
From allergens and microorganisms to metal fragments and other foreign objects: none of these should be found in food. After all, they can have very unpleasant consequences both for the consumer and for the producer of the food. Our production location in Oss is equipped to meet all strict food safety requirements. “Top brands entrust their unwrapped products to us”, says Ynno, plant manager at Vetipak. “That says it all, really.”
Hygienic “mini-factories”
One of our primary strengths is that our factory is divided into compartments, creating several ‘mini-factories’. “This means that only the necessary goods enter each compartment, and they leave again in their packaging”, explains Ynno. “This eliminates the possibility of cross-contamination. We also work according to extremely hygienic practices and ensure that the production line is designed to maximize food safety. That means we only use materials that have been approved for contact with food. In addition to this, we clean the line according to a validated process.”
“Food safety is a
continuous process of checks”
Check, check, check
Before we put a compartment into operation, a quality officer has to release it. This person checks the area for issues such as food residues and hygiene, and even for the presence of microorganisms (using swabs). If necessary, we send samples to laboratories. Ynno: “Food safety is a continuous process of checks. It’s the only way for us to be certain that everything is thoroughly clean, our process is running smoothly, and ultimately, that we’re delivering a food-safe end product. We also train our employees annually in performing the checks properly.”
“Naturally, our clients are welcome to come and examine our approach”, the plant manager continues. “However, the FSSC 22000 certificate often already instills a lot of confidence, because it shows that we have our affairs in good order. Not only with respect to food safety, but also in terms of matters such as food fraud and bioterrorism. In addition to the FSSC certificate, we are also audited several times annually by our valued customers. You could actually say that we’re an ‘FSSC-plus factory’.”
Eighteen production compartments
Vetipak Oss has a total of eighteen production compartments, each of which can be individually set up for an optimal, food-safe production line. In these compartments, we package products such as candy, cookies and chocolate in cardboard, plastic jars or bags. “And there are special lines for bag-in-bag packaging and pouches”, concludes Ynno. “The great thing is being able to find these in my own kitchen cupboard. It might not be healthy snacking, but at least it’s safe!”
