BIM Assist Errigal Seafood to Achieve British Retail Consortium (BRC) Standard

Donegal based seafood company to use quality standard to grow business in key markets.

Pictured from left to right: Trudy Quinn, Consultant, Aodh O’Donnell, Managing Director, Sandra Hennessy, BIM Seafood Quality Officer and Andrew Doherty, Quality Manager.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) recently assisted Errigal Seafood of Donegal to achieve the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety. The BRC Standard for Food Safety is the benchmark for best practice in the food industry. This well respected global standard will ensure that Errigal can grow ìts business across key markets.

Developed and driven by retailers, BRC Global Standards is a market leading brand that helps build confidence in the food safety industry. The standard is widely recognised throughout the world, with over 14,000 certificated suppliers in over 100 countries through a network of over 90 Accredited and BRC recognised Certification Bodies. This and its use outside the UK has seen it evolve into a Global Standard used not just to assess retailer suppliers, but as a framework upon which many companies have based their supplier assessment programmes and manufacture of branded products.  Many UK, European and North American retailers and brand owners will only consider business with suppliers who have gained certification to the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety as it demonstrates that the company involved has reached the highest quality standards.

In order to achieve the BRC certification, Errigal Seafood, had to demonstrate that its facility met or exceeded the benchmark standards. The company worked closely with BIM to ensure its processing facility operations met and were accepted by this internationally recognised, independently certified standard. An independent audit was conducted to verify compliance.

Aodh O’Donnell, Errigal Seafood’s Managing Director explained: ‘Achieving the BRC Standard is a major benchmark for the company and attests to commitment and special food processing skills of all of the employees who have made this possible. Reaching this target was a specific strategic initiative set by the Board of the Company and we have all worked very hard over the last year to achieve this outcome. As an element of this strategy, the company oversaw the implementation of a significant investment in the processing facility and ìn up-skilling the employees. As always, our greatest asset is the capacity and training of our workforce and the entire Team at Errigal Seafood look forward to celebrating our fiftieth anniversary in 2012’. Errigal also acknowledges and appreciates the support of Sandra Hennessy and her Team at BIM.

The BIM Advanced Processing Capability Programme was developed to assist larger Irish seafood processors tender for export markets that require BRC certification.  For the Irish Seafood Industry to grow, it must continue to develop export markets with premium products to ensure business expansion and securing job creation throughout Ireland.  BIM through the Advanced Processing Capability Programme assisted Errigal Seafood with HACCP and Hygiene training, conducted internal audits, financial support on BRC costs, and worked closely with Errigal’s Management and Quality Team to prepare the company for the BRC audit. 

BIM wish every success to Errigal Seafood with their Business development.