The concept of food safety establishes the right of every consumer to have access to safe, secure and nutritious food. It therefore refers to the ability of food producers to use different resources and strategies in order to ensure that all food is safe for consumption.
Torrent Group, as a leading company specialising in closures for Extra Virgin Olive Oils, liquors and spirits bottling, understands its critical role in the food industry and works every day to improve the safety of its non-refillable stoppers.
Food safety and the problem of counterfeiting.
The concept of food safety emerged in the 1970s. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), it “implies the application of strategies to guarantee that all foods are safe for consumption”. In other words, food safety establishes and ensures that food does not pose a risk to people’s health.
In this sense, the problem of counterfeiting liquors and spirits damages the health of millions of people throughout the planet annually: in countries like Colombia and Mexico, where Torrent has shown its firm commitment by building distribution plants, it is even estimated that more than 40% of the liquors for sale may be counterfeit.
At Torrent Closures, we know our customers’ requirements. We know that the first thing they look for is to be able to rely on the safety of their product. Liquor and olive oil bottlers want their closures to be free from contamination, adulterations or counterfeits.
This guarantee that the original product will not be tampered with once it is on the market depends to a great extent on the closures used in bottling. Therefore, Torrent Closures renews its commitment to seeking excellence in bottle closures in the food sector.
Where do we see the commitment of Torrent Closures to food safety?
Food safety requires all actors in the production chain to work with suitable materials that do not modify the composition of the food at all. In addition, it requires the preparation of these in accordance with regulations and good manufacturing practices in such a way that, whatever the material used, it does not impact upon the quality of the food and, consequently, the health of the consumer.
The stoppers that come into contact with food must comply with all the provisions of Regulation (EC) no. 1935/2004, which mainly requires four aspects:
- The packaging materials must be sufficiently inert so as not to represent a danger to human health or cause an unacceptable change in the composition of the food.
- The packaging of and advertising for the product must not induce misuse by consumers.
- Materials intended for contact with food must be accompanied by a written statement certifying their compliance with the standards that apply to them and there must be documentation proving such compliance.
- The traceability of this type of materials must be guaranteed at all stages of production and distribution.
Torrent Closures not only meets the legal requirements specified above: as part of its quality policy, it exhibits its certification in international Standard ISO 9001 , which confirms the efficiency and excellence applied to its production processes.
Our brand has managed over more than one hundred years of history to establish itself as a leader in closures for the best EVOOs throughout the world, and is the second biggest producer in the market today of stoppers for spirits and liquors. Many of the most important firms in these food industries have entrusted us with their products and the food safety of their consumers.