Innovation People

Our technical team work together, cooperating and combining their efforts with the common goal of finding the best way to assist our clients with services that will support their businesses in delivering safe and authentic food to their customers. Culturing a collection of skills and qualifications results in a think tank of individuals with a genuine interest in their fields of expertise; their creative outlet comes from combining their skills with the support and data from our testing laboratory. The result? The benefit of peace of mind from your go-to company.

Our technical team includes:

Food-product regulatory experts

We have four team members in our regulatory department. This department offers a range of services in the regulatory space, including a labelling service to ensure your product labels satisfy the complexities of the South African regulations. We can join your technical team to design your new products according to regulatory requirements, and assist with tackling regulatory ‘dead spots’ that require engagement with the relevant government departments.

In their assessments, our team include the food testing required to satisfy regulatory requirements and substantiate food-product claims, and they are able to assist with the logistics and costing for the analysis. Having access to a competent regulatory team gives your company the confidence to make the best possible regulatory decisions.

Allergen control

Since 2004 we have been focused on providing allergen-analysis laboratory services, along with technical support. Our technical team applies their knowledge of the South African regulatory framework, the VITAL^® risk assessment tool and the practical aspects of the manufacturing environment. Along with their capacity to interpret the laboratory results for your products and manufacturing circumstances, this also ensures that you have access to all aspects of allergen control; being able to put them together with our technical team speeds up solution delivery and corrective action. This includes assisting customers who experience allergic reactions as a result of consuming your food products.

Custom analysis

Aligned with our mission to provide the best possible service to our clients, we also offer custom testing. This includes tests that are not offered in our testing catalogue, or those needed to resolve atypical production challenges. Examples of such testing include identifying foreign matter, detecting uncommon adulterants, or tracing the root cause of contaminants. Our multidisciplinary team uses a wide range of scientific tools, specialised skill sets and some ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking to seek answers to any question, and solutions to any problem.

Facilitated analysis

At FACTS, we strive to supply our clients with solutions. Sometimes, clients request analyses that we do not offer in-house. Our aim is always to provide a stress-free testing experience; and in these cases, therefore, we outsource the testing to a trusted laboratory, and facilitate the process from start to finish on your behalf. Included in this facilitated process are the following: sourcing of appropriate laboratories for particular sample matrices, or to achieve specific objectives; coordinating multiple analyses (e.g. at different laboratories) and the sample distribution involved; interpreting test results in accordance with local and/or international regulations, or your own internal standards or specifications; presenting results, background information and all interpretations in an easy-to-understand report. Should we be unsuccessful in sourcing an appropriate laboratory, we may be able to assist via our Custom Analysis.

Food Fraud Prevention

The fraudulent and deliberate adulteration, substitution or misrepresentation of a raw material or product for economic gain affects manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and consumers. This is a growing global concern, and our team understands the value of managing food fraud – including how important the role of authenticity testing is – by applying a multi-disciplinary approach  to support and reinforce prevention through horizon scanning. We are committed to continuous and purposeful innovation to assist with detecting, deterring and preventing food fraud. Our scope of services ranges from subscriptions to a globally recognised Food Fraud Database, to training, consulting, and industry-leading analytical services. This allows us to support our clients with integrated and comprehensive solutions for vulnerability assessments and prevention strategies, and to share our international partner networks with our clients.

We welcome you to join our FACTS family, and allow us to support your needs on your journey to achieving your own customer success stories. Contact us for more information.