QUALITY & SAFETY
Quality Assurance
All Elmira Pet Product products are formulated to meet or exceed AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards and guidelines in pet foods.
Elmira Pet Products is fully committed to Food Safety and Quality.
Food Safety and Quality
Our programs oversee our entire supply chain, from our supply base through to our customers and end consumers. Food Safety and Quality at Elmira Pet Products starts with the selection of quality-conscious suppliers and the testing and inspection of every incoming ingredient. Our scientists confirm the consistency and safety of our ingredients with extensive laboratory testing.
The Elmira Pet Products manufacturing processes maintain the control of our product specifications to ensure all aspects of quality (appearance, dimensions, nutrition, safety, and taste) meet or exceed the label claims. Elmira Pet Products demonstrates its quality focus through the technical services and customer support team behind each product. All Elmira Pet Product products are formulated to meet or exceed AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards and guidelines in pet foods.
QUALITY AND TESTING CAPABILITIES
- LECO FP-628 for protein analysis
- Genesys 20 Spectrophotometer and AA7000 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer unit for mineral analysis
- Peroxide value testing (Saftest – quick test or titration method) of solids and liquids
- Toxin screening (Quantitative Measurements of Aflatoxin, Vomitoxin, Fumonisin and Zearalenone using Reveal Q+ using the AccuScan Pro reader)
- Station for Soxhlet ether-based fat extraction
- NIR 2500 units for rapid analysis of fat, protein, moisture and ash
- Ash oven, moisture analysis, Free Fatty Acid analysis, pH, product viscosity, water activity and more
- Melisa-Tek Ruminant kits for testing for the presence of ruminant materials
Some of our independent partners include Agrifood Laboratories, Bureau Veritas (formerly Maxxam Analytics), Silliker laboratories, and Kemin Nutrisurance (residual anti-oxidant and shelf-life).
Routine measurements of every production run include:
- NIR (moisture, protein and fat)
- Diameter
- Thickness
- Density
- Statistical Process Control of our package net weights
Our complete retention library of raw ingredients and finished products allows us to provide full traceability on all of our products.
ETHICAL TESTING PRACTICES
Elmira Pet Products is passionate about doing the right thing. We do not carry out invasive procedures or studies on animals.
Our goal is to provide the best nutrition, based on proven science, to help pets live long and happy lives. To ensure product performance, we periodically conduct non-invasive digestibility and feeding trials with like-minded partners, select breeders, and employees. These trials put the well-being of animals first, and do not cause pain, stress, suffering, or harm. “Doing the right thing” means treating all animals like we treat our own beloved pets.
COMPLIANCE
We are compliant with CFIA, USDA, EU and various international regulatory requirements. We were the first Canadian dry-pet food manufacturing facility to achieve the BRCGS certification status (2012) and we continue our efforts to better our products and services in order to meet our customers’ highest expectations.
BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety – Benchmarked by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)
Elmira Pet Products has been certified by the BRCGS since 2012 and continues to consistently achieve outstanding results. BRCGS is a global, comprehensive food-safety program that requires yearly re-certification and competency grading by participating companies. The heart of the program is management commitment and the HACCP food safety plan.
The Senior Management Team at Elmira Pet Products must demonstrate commitment to achieve the BRCGS Standard by allocating resources to this goal, including financial, technological, training, and employment of specialists in food safety, nutrition, engineering, process, and environmental control. Management must establish company goals and monitor progress in achieving them. The company must also have an effective HACCP Food safety program in place, supported by effective Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). HACCP is a system to monitor and control critical food safety parameters within the Elmira Pet Products plant. GMP are those environmental and operational conditions necessary for the production of safe food. Both HACCP and GMP are integral parts the BRCGS program.
In addition to BRCGS certification, Elmira Pet Products is also audited and re-certified yearly by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The CFIA oversees and audits Elmira Pet Products to ensure that USDA and EU standards of food safety are practiced and maintained for export markets in the United States and the European Union.