Customer satisfaction continues to be a top priority for us. Our commitment to sustainability is consistent with the sustainability commitments of our customers. We, along with many of our customers, have embraced the concept of environmental and social performance and will continue to drive this platform throughout our industry, from suppliers to finished goods.
Many of our customers are large global companies that have embraced the concept of environmental and social performance, and expect their suppliers to do the same. This reinforces the business value of our programs and involves all levels of the organization in the commitment to achieve our goals.
In 2018, to ensure that we remained competitive in the marketplace and are able to service our customers, we became REACH certified. REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. It also promotes alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce the number of tests on animals.
Our refined glycerin has been Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 2 certified since 2015. We are recognized by the SQF Institute, a division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), as a HACCP Based Food Safety Plan Supplier. In 2019, we worked to achieve SQF Certification for our Kosher and Halal Fatty Acids. This certification reflects the goal of our food safety management system to improve business processes, increase efficiencies and reduce risk. To receive this level of certification we must:
- Meet a number of strict SQF safety and sanitation requirements
- Develop and maintain a high level of sustainable Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs)
- Develop and follow a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HAACP) program to ensure food safety
- Develop a food safety risk analysis while providing continuous SQF training for all its employees
SQF certification is recognized worldwide, informing customers that they are doing business with a company who adheres to the strictest food safety and sanitation standards. It gives consumers a sense of confidence knowing they are buying products from a company who is recognized for producing safe food products. This certification gives external validation to the internal safety commitment to which we have always adhered.
Being SQF certified builds confidence between TRT and our partners. Having a recognized single-audit system in place eliminates the need for duplicate, costly audits from other sources. The SQF program has been implemented by more than 5,000 companies operating in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America and in the United States. In addition, SQF Certification meets the safety standard of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
Furthermore, to receiving this certification, we expanded our product line offerings to include coconut only products. These products are certified as being Palm Free, which is becoming an increasingly requested option during this widely controversial time. Many companies are choosing to eliminate non-sustainable palm oil due to the effects harvesting has had on the workers in the palm oil industry and the deforestation in the rainforests of southeast Asia. Because of this and the ever-evolving natural specialty chemical industry, TRT is also a RSPO registered site and offers Mass Balance product options.
Sedex is a not for profit membership organization which is dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains. In 2019 Twin Rivers completed a Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit or SMETA. The SMETA is intended to provide transparency for Sedex’s four governance pillars of Labor, Health and Safety, Environment and Business Ethics. TRT passed the SMETA with no findings or corrective actions and the outstanding comment in the SMETA about TRT was ...“Excellent environmental standards are maintained. A full and comprehensive sustainability program is in place”. The results of the SMETA are available to TRT’s customers.