|
In the morning session of the conference both Coles and Woolworths will be speaking on the implementation of the VITAL system. Margaret Cole, Woolworths Business Manager: Quality Assurance Private Label, will talk on the direction of labelling for their private label branded products and the integration of the VITAL system into the requirements of the Woolworths Quality Assurance (WQA) Standard.
In the afternoon session, Fiona Fleming, Chairperson of the Allergen Bureau Management Committee, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Director, George Weston Foods, will tell the inside story of VITAL's development and explore its future directions. Fiona's insights are not to be missed.
Margaret Cole's Quality Assurance perspective on the direction of Woolworths Homebrand and Woolworths Select private label brands and the important role of VITAL in meeting regulatory requirements and consumer demands, are also VITAL highlights of the Conference not to be missed.
Woolworths Homebrand and Select Private Label are two of Australia’s biggest selling brands involving large and small Australian and international businesses. Margaret knows the food industry from paddock to plate (see 'Quality Career' box) and knows exactly what is being asked of suppliers and what is at stake.
“Food allergens are our number one source of consumer queries,” Margaret Cole says. “They want more information about food allergens so they can make an informed choice about their purchases.”
“We have obligations to consumers and to regulatory authorities for ensuring the food allergen information on packaging labelling is accurate.
"We have asked our Trade Partners to work towards implementing the VITAL system within their quality assurance processes by 1 September, we will actively work with them, through the audit process, to roll the VITAL system out once this is implemented based on risk and product complexity.
"We support the VITAL system because we wanted a formalised and systematic process for assessing the risk of allergen cross contact in the manufacturing environment. VITAL provides a risk based approach, looking at what's occurring in our Trade Partners' businesses.
“VITAL has a follow-on effect which also applies to suppliers of ingredients and raw materials which constitute our Woolworths’ branded products.
"It can't be left to retailers alone to determine or interpret the information on food allergens to go on food product labels. The accuracy of the information and its value to consumers depends directly on the thoroughness and reliability of the risk assessment our Trade Partners do on their processes in relation to quality assurance, including food allergen related risks.
"One of the reasons we have implemented the VITAL system is to eliminate generic food allergen advisory statements on packaging being used for marketing purposes or as disclaimers.
"We have moral and regulatory obligations to ensure the safety of our products for supply to our consumers. Incorporating the VITAL system into our WQA Standard reinforces its purpose of ‘protecting our consumers trust in our products and our brand'.
"VITAL is definitely a benefit of being a Member of the Allergen Bureau. The Allergen Bureau is not only providing us with the VITAL tool, it is also assisting us with resources such as training through Advanced Food Safety (AFS) to manage and understand how to use it as a tool with our Trade Partners.”
Easy to spot allergen information
Woolworths has taken the integration of the VITAL system into its WQA Standard a step further with ‘One Stop Spot’ labelling on their Private Label brand products so consumers can see at a glance everything the information on food allergens they need to make purchase decisions.
“Our ‘One Stop Spot’ eliminates confusion,” says Margaret Cole, Woolworths Business Manager: Quality Assurance Private Label. “It’s all there in black and white with precise allergen advice.”
“Our ‘One Stop Spot’ will be officially launched at the Allergen Bureau Conference in Adelaide in September, where I will be speaking on the direction we have taken at Woolworths on labelling for Private Label branded products,” Margaret Cole said.
“We will be introducing Private Label products with our ‘One Stop Spot’ food allergen labelling into Woolworths supermarkets across Australia at about the same time as the Allergen Bureau Conference in Adelaide. |
Quality career
Margaret Cole, Woolworths Business Manager: Quality Assurance Private Label, will be a keynote speaker at the Allergen Bureau Conference in Adelaide in September. The variety and volumes of products, and the value of the Woolworths Homebrand and Select Private Label brands she deals with are truly awesome.
Margaret joined Woolworths as Quality Manager for Woolworths in 2000 with responsibility for the implementation of processes relating to Quality Assurance encompassing product development and Trade Partner Management for Woolworths premium brand products and Home Brand.
She previously worked with Food Operations as a Food Safety Auditor with significant involvement with Woolworth and prior to that at the University of Western Sydney as Technical Officer in Diary Science and United Milk Tasmania as a Dairy Technologist specialising in Cheese and Laboratory management. | 
