Oxoid has announced that the Cadbury Trebor Bassett team based at the company's Chirk site in Wales has won first prize in the 2007/2008 Oxoid Food Safety Team of the Year Awards.
The Cadbury Chirk site is a feedstock site for the larger Cadbury organisation, with the laboratory handling samples of butter and chocolate liquor.
Oxoid said the team's entry demonstrated its determination to drive forward a continuous quality improvement process, which involved improvements in methodologies and changes in factory processes.
A positive clearance system was introduced, which improved laboratory inspection processes and provided enhanced traceability.
With no increase in staffing levels, the frequency of sample testing increased, creating a 200 per cent increase in workload, a laboratory extension was built and commissioned with no disruption to workflow, and improved environmental monitoring practices were implemented, including training of maintenance, supply chain partners and contractors, who all now work to Cadbury GMP standards.
All of these factors contributed to reductions in out of specification microbiological results over previous years.
Cheryl Mooney, chairman of the judging panel, said 'The commitment and dedication of the Cadbury Chirk team have had a significant food safety impact that was demonstrated by the facts and figures contained in their entry.
'The team has also raised its own morale and, through the enthusiasm and initiatives of its members, has raised morale and levels of food hygiene and safety within the production environment.' Second prize was awarded to the laboratory team at Fonterra Clandeboye, Timaru, New Zealand.
The Fonterra Co-operative Group is a producer of dairy products with 97 per cent of products being exported, globally.
The laboratory at Clandeboye is responsible for testing all products produced in the South Island manufacturing plants and, also, from external companies.
During 2007/2008, the laboratory workload increased to receive samples from the North Island.
The judges were impressed by the way in which this laboratory had treated the increasing workload as a challenge and had restructured working practices and incorporated quality management principles to maximise effectiveness and increase productivity.
A Judges Special Award was made to Westward Laboratories, Callington, Cornwall, UK, previous winners of the Oxoid Food Safety Team of the Year Award, for their continued contribution to food safety.
Among the initiatives undertaken by Westward, the judges cited the laboratory's willingness to promote food safety issues to local community, by involvement with young farmers groups and local colleges, as being worthy of special recognition.
