|
Traceability
Muntons operate an internationally agreed sampling regime whereby all barley at intake is sampled and sent to an external accredited laboratory for analysis pf pesticide residues and other key items for food safety. The laboratory for analysis of pesticide residues and other key items for food safety. The laboratory used is BRi (Brewing Research International, Surrey UK - now known as campden-BRi).
All results are tabulated on our 'due diligence spreadsheet' which shows that we are compliant with all legal food safe levels for the appropriate parameters. In that spreadsheet we also tabulate food safety tests we have made for mycotoxins and heavy metals. Samples for mycotoxins and heavy metals. Samples for mycotoxins are taken at harvest and six months later allowing for the grain to have been stored, the most important stage at which mycotoxin development should be measured.
We only allow application of chemicals that are on the BBPA (British Beer and Pub Association, formerly BLRA) accepted list for chemicals that can be used on malting barley.
Our purchasing conditions stipulate that ONLY chemicals on the BBPA approved list may be used and ANY post harvest application use has to be declared on the plant passport at barley intake. We also insist that all grain at intake is supplied through an approved assurance scheme, e.g.the Assured Combinable Crops Scheme (ACCS). This scheme registers suppliers who have met stringent standards for management of pesticide applications and are awarded a registration certificate and sticker to accompany every load delivered.
At a time when consumers and legislators are seeking greater assurance than ever before on food safety, the Assured UK Malt standard is a timely response from the UK malting industry. At the heart of the standard is a code of practice drawn up by industry experts and audited by Product Authentication International who have been approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) as the scheme's recognised Accreditation Body. Not only does the standard provide powerful raw material protection to consumer and industry brands, but it complies with the British Retail Consortium’s own code of practice and it enables much faster responses to supply –chain dynamics. Above all, it sets UK malt apart from the competition.
Muntons are accredited to the Assured UK Malt Standard.
Click on the logo to view further information about the Assured UK Malt Standard
Muntons plc -A Responsible and Ethical Supplier
Muntons takes seriously the need to act in a responsible and ethical manner in the following key areas:
Compliance with applicable laws and standards:
Muntons plc keeps abreast of legislation through links with trade bodies, official Internet websites and business and case law updates through external companies such as GEE. Compliance with laws on health and safety, environment and other applicable law are given high priority at executive level via review at our board meetings.
Employment practices:
Equal opportunity
Muntons plc is an equal opportunity employer with respect to race, religion, sex, colour, physical ability, marital status and age as described in our staff handbook. We do not tolerate sexual harassment or bullying at work.
Health and Safety
Muntons plc has a high regard for the health and safety of its employees. A Company director is responsible for Health and Safety implementation within the group. We also have a trained Safety Advisor to assist us in the implementation of existing and new legislation. At each of our sites we have local safety representatives appointed by the unions and representatives of employee safety selected from our workforce. These are organised into committees meeting monthly. Compliance with health and safety standards via corrective actions is monitored and reported at divisional board level each month with a main board review every six months. We are also members of the British Safety Council.
Trade Union Membership
Our employees are free to join a trade union. We have good relations with our main unions and provide adequate facilities for them to meet and administer their business on site.
Fair employment terms
Muntons plc takes great care to ensure that employment terms and conditions are fair and equitable. These are also reviewed with our union representatives and legal advisors. Wages are set with reference to market rate for the job. Advancement of employees within the Company is encouraged by giving access to internal and external training as appropriate for the job and for wider personal development within their chosen career. We always advertise vacancies within the Company before looking externally. We are compliant with the Working Time Directive and closely monitor the hours that our employees work. We support many educational initiatives both locally and nationally.
Purchasing Policy:
Muntons plc has an ethical purchasing and supply policy. When purchasing on behalf of the Company, employees are always expected to act professionally and selflessly and foster fair, ethical and legal trade practices. Vendors are expected to apply fair, ethical and legal trade practices when doing business with the Company.
Download Muntons plc Standard Conditions of Purchase
Environmental Practices:
Muntons plc has an Environmental Policy such that we will comply with all legislation on the environment. We are certificated to ISO14001 at our Stowmarket and Bridlington sites. In addition we specifically take our carbon emissions seriously as required by the Kyoto agreement. We have a 10-year energy reduction target within the Climate Change agreement and are ahead of our targets for energy reduction per unit of production. We are also compliant with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which is a further means to limit carbon emissions to air. Our Stowmarket site wastewater treatment plant has been used for publicity by the UK Environment Agency to demonstrate how effective cooperation between industry and government can be.
Food Safety and Hygiene:
We supply into the food and beverage industries and take hygiene very seriously. All our employees are trained in basic food safety and hygiene with specific reference to the production of malt and malted ingredients. Our Stowmarket plants are certificated to British Retail Consortium Global Standard Food (Issue 4) at the highest ‘A’ grade. We are leading members of industry best practice groups driving through continual improvement in an industry standard HACCP protocol and the externally accredited Assured UK Malt standard. We are certificated to provide Kosher and Organic products. For the protection of the food supply chain we only purchase grain from approved suppliers; maintain certification to the Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC) for our haulage and analytical operations and the Feed Materials Accreditation Scheme (FEMAS) to protect the co-products we sell as animal feed. All of these engender in our staff an understanding of the importance of food quality and hygiene in creating products for human consumption or co-products for animal feed and make our workplace hygienic and pleasant to work in.
| 
