SALSA and Soil Association Launch Dual Audit Option

Announced at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London, the collaboration is the first of its kind and will be available to new and current SALSA and Soil Association licensees. Planned to start in November 2016, small producers will be able to condense what usually entails two audits into just one day, helping to save them time, money and resources - businesses which register for this option will save £100 on the regular SALSA fee.

The Soil Association Certification is the UK’s leading organic certification body and certifies over 70 per cent of the organic food and drink sector. SALSA is the food safety certification scheme for the UK’s small food and drink producers.

Sally Ball, SALSA scheme manager, said, “This new tie-in represents a significant milestone for both certification bodies and for our small producers.  It allows members to reap the significant time and cost saving rewards, whilst ensuring they are operating to a robust, recognised food safety standard. Approved businesses can confidently access a wider market, in particular supermarket chains and catering suppliers.”

Jam and preserve producer, James Horwood from Kitchen Garden Foods, said, “We know that organic is growing, but there are still hurdles small businesses like us need to cross. A joint audit will help us prove to buyers and customers that we have people’s best interests at heart – that we are producing organically grown, safe food independently certified by both Soil Association Certification and SALSA.  As a small business, we don’t have huge amounts of resource, so being able to combine the two accreditations really makes sense!”

Lee Holdstock, trade relations officer at Soil Association Certification said, “The organic market is in strong growth with sales up over 5 per cent this year, but the consumer is changing too. What we term ‘millennials’ increasingly want to know about their food and our organic certification is well positioned to deliver the innovation, integrity of origin and reassurance this new consumer demands.”

He told us, “We’ve already had a significant amount of interest in the new dual audit, and Soil Association Certification licensees are welcome to register for the new audit through the SALSA website. We are aware that SALSA is becoming increasingly important to key food retailers. The process of a dual audit is intended to help businesses who want both these independent assurances, saving them both time and money. For many the other food safety certifications out there aren’t a feasible option, so by teaming up with SALSA we can help more businesses improve their chances for increasing sales.”