|
News
Release
Pillitteri
Estates Receives Highest Level of HACCP Certification
June
2, 2008
First Canadian-owned winery in Ontario to achieve
Advantage HACCP Plus food safety certification
Niagara on
the Lake - Pillitteri Estates Winery, a producer of premium
VQA (Vintner Quality Alliance) wines, has become the first Ontario
winery to achieve the rigorous Advantage Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point (HACCP) Plus certification from the Canadian General
Standards Board (CGSB).
HACCP is a system
of quality control for food safety that addresses physical, chemical
and biological threats as a means of prevention. A HACCP program
identifies potential food risks of an operation (known as critical
points) and provides a means of monitoring, tracking and handling
those areas. HACCP was initially developed by NASA and has been
adopted as one of the best food-safety systems applied worldwide.
Pillitteri's
Advantage HACCP Plus certification is the highest level of
HACCP attainable, requiring additional systems for bio-security
and traceability. This certification ensures customers and partners
that Pillitteri is committed to food safety and that it provides
a safe and high quality product. Charlie Pillitteri, President of
Sales, initiated the program and affirms that "in the scope
of today's global geo-economic environment, HACCP certification
is a crucial and necessary element to any successful exporting business.
Although HACCP is not a requirement for the exporting of our wines,
it will become increasingly necessary in the future." Currently,
Pillitteri exports to over 20 countries with export sales generating
a third of total revenue. Charlie adds "We are proud to be
one of only 2 businesses in Ontario to receive Advantage HACCP
Plus certification. We hope to continue in our role of leadership
and advancement in our field by investing resources in an accreditation
which is not currently mandatory."
Pillitteri applied to be part of a pilot project through the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). This unique
opportunity allowed the winery HACCP team, lead by Winemaster Dr.
Marc Bradshaw, along with our consultant, Michelle Harris-Bailey
from the Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) to take just under
a year to complete the required written programs, conduct training
& implementation and to complete a final audit to obtain certification.
Nestled between
Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, Pillitteri Estates Winery
has been producing premium vitis vinifera and French hybrid grapes
for over fifty-five years on their Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards.
The family's philosophy is simple: to produce the finest VQA wines
possible from the highest quality grapes grown in Niagara. This
approach has earned Pillitteri Estates over 450 international and
domestic medals reflecting the winery's commitment to producing
premium VQA wines. Pillitteri Estates is recognized as the world's
largest estate producer of Icewine and one of the most innovative.
-30-
For further
information contact:
Jamie Slingerland, Director of Viticulture
905-651-2663 or winery@pillitteri.com
For further
information on Advantage HACCP Plus visit:
www.omafra.gov.on.ca
www.pillitteri.com
Related topics
in the Sources Directory: wine
industry - wine
making - winery
& viticulture technicians - quality
standards - food
products/standards - food
safety
Sources
home page
|