Four months after suspending the quality standard certification of the Strauss-Elite confectionary factory at Nof Hagalil after salmonella was found there, the Ministry of Health is restoring the approval for production at the factory, and it will be able to start working again gradually.
The Ministry of Health announced that after a hygiene and technology inspection at the Strauss-Elite factory, the factory has been allowed a gradual return to production. The ministry will continue its inspections until it is able to allow the factory to resume full activity.
Following the inspection by Food Service inspectors from the ministry, the factory has been permitted to restore production of waffles and wafers without gluten, and they will become available at stores within the next few weeks, after sufficient stock has been built up.
On April 26 the Ministry of Health carried out an inspection at the factory following positive findings of salmonella there and a general recall of products announced on April 25. Substantial defects were found at the factory, and the Food Service decided to suspend the factory’s production compliance certification for three months or until all the defects had been fixed.
The repeat inspection this month found that the defects had bene fixed and that substantial improvements had been made. Among other things, the environment, raw materials and finished product sampling systems were upgraded. From now on, the factory will check every batch before it leaves. In addition, extensive hygiene improvements were made, among the sealing of roofs, general cleaning, replacement of equipment as necessary, replacement of floors, a sealing of cracks.
The organizational structure has been revamped, and the quality control staff has been expanded at both the confectionary and chocolate factories. Sensitive areas at the factory have been designated, and dress codes and procedures have been instituted accordingly.
"We have renovated the two Elite factories at Nof Hagalil, and we are returning to production after strengthening the management and quality control processes, such that we can ensure that all the products are safe for consumption. Following many approaches that we received, the first production of some of the products will be gluten free," said Strauss Group CEO Eyal Dror.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 30, 2022.
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