As in previous years, a delegation of State representatives, led by Mr Joël BONARIC (Director of the CCRF (fraud control) & Metrology section of DIRECCTE Occitanie (regional directorate for companies, competition, consumption, work and employment), met as required by the “Saint-Charles Quality Control System” to discuss the 2018/2019 “Saint-Charles Quality Control Report”.

The public administration representatives had nothing negative to say about the information contained in this report. On the contrary, they emphasised that the Syndicate and the 62 firms having signed up to the principles of the “Saint-Charles Quality Control” Agreement had perfectly mastered the food, health and safety aspects and fully complied with norms.

These positive results were confirmed during the Syndicate’s certification campaign, with a score of 99% compliance attributed by the International Certifying Body, SGS. This seal of approval validates challenges undertaken by the Syndicate via 8 service-related commitments that are described and monitored in the frame of reference established for the certification procedure.

The “Quality” requirements of the 62 “Saint-Charles Quality Control System” signatories can be summed up in a few key figures, as follows:

  • The Syndicate sent:
    • 237 “food safety” reports
    • 22 information circulars
    • 30 regulatory monitoring reports
  • 164 professionals were trained by the Syndicate through Basic and Improver courses on fruit & vegetable knowledge and standard self-monitoring quality procedures. The training sessions met with the full satisfaction of the trainees concerned. Other types of training proposed by the Syndicate during the campaign included one-to-one and group sessions on the HACCP method.
  • The Syndicate carried out 3 partial audits per signatory company, making a yearly total of 179 partial audits with a compliance rate per topic* exceeding 90% in every case.
  • Via the pooling system set up by the Syndicate, the signatory companies carried out, under the “Saint-Charles Quality Control System” 2,230 analyses through Laboratories approved by the DGCCRF: Laboratoire Départemental CAMP and Laboratoire Phytocontrol.

(*) : Partial audit topics: documentation system / parameter control / incoming inspection / residue analysis plan / traceability / installations / Private Digital Community and Logo, etc. 

The Syndicate’s Quality Control procedures and aid tools were once again rewarded by positive feedback via the satisfaction survey carried out at the end of the campaign. This ongoing quality process, which boosts progress, will lead the Syndicate to work on the following areas in 2020:

  • Proposal of a new Quality image to be reflected in a new logo
  • Strengthening of resources in the Quality section, with the recruitment of a second Quality Leader at the beginning of April.
  • Reassertion of the Syndicate’s role in terms of “Consultancy”, “Training” and “Guidance” for signatories requiring assistance with “Quality” issues and, more widely, any of the sector’s businesses requesting our help in this area.

Attendees :

  • For DIRECCTE:
    • Mr Joël BONARIC (Director of the CCRF & Metrology for Occitanie)
    • Mr Nicolas OULES (Regional Fruit & Vegetable Technical Inspector)
    • Mr Thibault MOURGUES (Regional Fruit & Vegetable Technical Inspector)
  • For DDPP 66:
    • Ms Estelle BOHBOT (Director of DDPP 66)
    • Mr Gilles STOQUART (Head of CCRF section of DDPP66)
  • For Laboratoire Départemental CAMP:
    • Ms Stéphanie MARTINEZ (Food Safety Manager)
  • For Laboratoire Phytocontrôl:
    • Ms Gladys DUPONT (Nîmes Branch Manager)
  • For the Quality Commission:
    • Mr Emmanuel EICHNER (SNIFL Administrator in charge of Quality Commission)
    • Mr Gérard FABRE (SNIFL Administrator – Quality Commission Assessor)
    • Ms Bérengère DUCHESNE (Quality Manager – Agri Commerce)
    • Ms Gaëlle LE HE (Quality Manager – Anecoop)