Product Safety

Traceability

The most internationally recognized definition of traceability defines it as the "ability to trace the history, application, or location of an entity by recorded identifications". The intent of tracing goods is the capability to identify the origin of a particular unit and/or batch of product located within the supply chain by reference to records held upstream.

As a key stakeholders in the industry, Emperor’s implemented traceability best practices include: grocery retailers and food service companies providing goods and services to consumers, suppliers who are mainly composed of grower/shippers, and the transporters of goods.

Emperor’s traceability practices are developed in accordance with the PMA [Produce Marketing Association] the CPMA [Canadian Produce Marketing Association] and the CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency]

Emperor’s traceability program focuses on Whole Chain Traceability vs. Segmented Traceability.

Guiding principles for traceability best practices are as follows:

• Clarify traceability terms and concepts to ensure mutual understanding between trading partners.
• Provide framework for product and location identification: including data attributes that enable access to a given products life cycle, during all stages of production, storage, delivery, and receipt.
• Record where the product was sent and where it came from (one step forward, one step back) at each point in the supply chain.
• Limit the scope of a recall by predefining groups of product and utilizing other data attributes to facilitate traceability.
• Prioritize implementation steps including necessary standards, procedures, and technology to obtain the greatest value in addressing traceability requirements.
• Ensure technical compatibility with other international traceability initiatives.

For more information on our food safety initiatives please contact us directly.

Certification

In addition to meeting the requirements of the CFIA and local public health departments, Emperor recognizes the importance of having food safety certification that exceeds the basic legal requirements. This position is taken for both Emperor's facilities and for its foreign suppliers.

Certification of Emperor's Facilities

The plant and storage facilities in Richmond, B.C. are inspected annually by a third party food safety auditing company. The audit covers all food safety aspects of the facility including building design and maintenance, processing and packaging, product specifications, sanitation programs, product testing programs, recall systems, storage and shipping and detailed record keeping requirements. A minimum 80% score is required to pass the audit.

Certification of Emperor's Suppliers

Many products sold by Emperor are from China and are subject to the requirements of the Chinese food inspection agencies. Agreements between the CFIA and the Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Agency (CIQ) restrict the importation of certain food products to designated Chinese provinces and certified orchards. All other products are subject to the export requirements of the CIQ and the normal requirements of the CFIA.

Emperor has implemented an audit requirement for it's foreign suppliers similar to the one used domestically. At the international level there are a variety of inspection and certification programs including Euregap, BRC, HACCP (HACCP is also used in Canada, USA and many other countries around the world) and other third party auditing companies. Most of Emperor's suppliers are currently certified by one or more of these programs and the ones not currently certified are in the process of obtaining certification. Suppliers that fail to obtain certification will be dropped from Emperor's list of suppliers.