The first store chain to be certified with the new Certification Protocol
TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas, the leading Audit, Inspection and Certification Organization in Greece, certified the Kaufland Bulgaria store chain with the new “Safety on Shelf” Certification Protocol. Kaufland Bulgaria, based in Sofia, is the first chain of retailing stores that adopted and implemented the procedure and the control process of the “Safety on Shelf”, and received the relevant Certificate of Conformity from TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas. Kaufland Bulgaria – having under management 63 Hypermarkets, throughout the territory of our neighboring country – is the premium store chain of the Schwarz Group, which also includes the Lidl store chain.
In particular, Kaufland Bulgaria received the “Safety on Shelf” certification for two minced meat labels, “Brey!” and “Chef Butcher”, following the audits carried out on the shops’ operational system through the hybrid inspection system. In this way, the seamless consistency of the controlled areas and procedures with the hygiene and safety standards – set by the new Certification Protocol – is ensured.
This Certification Protocol has been developed by TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas Organization, holding many years of experience and know-how in the development of tailor-made value-added services for any type of business activity, through the realization and analysis of specialized business needs, which can be transformed into important products’ and services’ control tools, as well as the creation of a mechanism to validate the effectiveness of the application of these services.
Dimitar Kraev, CEO of ATC ET Bulgaria OOD, TÜV AUSTRIA’s exclusive partner in Bulgaria reported: “At TÜV AUSTRIA we often say that certification is a matter of culture. The independent external evaluation of the quality and safety of the processes, inevitably leads to their improvement, and to the provision of an even higher quality final product. We believe that the certification of Kaufland Bulgaria’s products with the Private Standard of TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas, “Safety on Shelf” is a very good example of this culture for a safer food distribution environment”.
Mr. Ioannis Kallias, Managing Director of TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas emphasized: “It is with great pleasure that TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas has certified with the new “Safety on Shelf” Certification Protocol, the first store chain in our neighboring country. We are proud that through the development of this innovative Certification Protocol, we can ensure that the fresh and unpackaged food available to the food chains, maintains its level of safety. The “Safety on Shelf” certification awarded to Kaufland Bulgaria underlines the safety in the way the store chain operates, and the quality of its products provided.