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Sugar accreditations: another level of quality and ethical standards

16/03/2023 By Ibrahim Belo in What we do Quality & certifications

In a global marketplace where almost every food producer claims their products are ethical and high quality, there is plenty of evidence showing many of these claims are false. If you want to know exactly what you’re buying, look for industry standard independent certifications and accreditations, many of which in markets like the UK and EU are mandatory. At Ragus, we’ve invested in 12 industry accreditations, so you can be certain of the quality and provenance of the pure sugar syrups and crystallines that we manufacture in bulk for industry. 

Industry standard accreditations assure our customers that the quality of our products goes above and beyond food standards legislation.

What are sugar accreditations and why have them? 

As one of the most ubiquitous foodstuffs in the world, food regulation bodies like the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK enforces food standards legislation and provides guidance on sugar labelling to ensure that it’s safe for consumption and is exactly what it claims to be. On top of our legal obligations, at Ragus, we go one step further, certifying all our bulk sugars against the unique and rigorous standards of a range of industry-specific bodies.  

We do this because we want to give all our customers evidence of the quality of our products and assure them that they’re sourced and produced ethically and sustainably. Showing—and explaining—these credentials can make the difference between a customer choosing our pure sugars or going to another supplier, because industrial customers’ procurement and buying teams can see right away that our products are what we say they are. 

We proudly hold 12 accreditations from independent bodies, who regularly send inspectors to our factory, sometimes unannounced or on short notice, to talk to our people and examine our processes in great detail. These bodies have no links to any other organisations or government departments. You can see what they are and why they’re so important to us below. 

Our 12 accreditations all come from independent bodies.

What accreditation does Ragus hold?

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is the world’s most recognised standard-setting body. We have three of their accreditations:  

ISO 14001:2015, which is the principal management system standard that specifies how to formulate and maintain an effective environmental management system. 

ISO 45001:2018: an occupational health and safety management system that demonstrates an organisations commitment to a safer working environment and protecting employees against injury at work. 

ISO-9001:2015, the internationally recognised standard for managing quality in businesses, improving products, processes and service. 

Halal Certification Europe accredits companies with the Halal Certification. Use of the Halal Certification logo certifies that an organisation’s products conform to Halal requirements in accordance with Islamic Law. 

The London Beth Din Kashrut Division (KLBD) accredits organisations with the Kosher Certification. When an organisation bears the KLDB logo, their products are certified for year-round use under the Kosher Status of ‘Pareve-non Passover’. You can find out more about our Kosher certification in our archives. 

Fairtrade  

The Fairtrade Mark is an independent, trusted and widely recognised product certification that proves Fairtrade producers have received Fairtrade terms when selling their products. Find out why Fairtrade certification is so important to us, and why we think the industry should be aware of it. 

The BRCGS is a trademark belonging to the British Retail Consortium. The logo is used by companies and organisations that have achieved BRCGS certification in the Food Safety, Packaging, Consumer Products, Storage and Distribution sectors without any exclusions to the scope. 

The Organic Food Federation accredits organisations with the Organic Food Federation Certification. Use of its logo certifies that an organisation’s qualifying products are fully compliant with organic regulations, made with raw materials grown according to organic principles and free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours. Find out what exactly makes sugar organic in this blog from our archives. 

SEDEX  

SEDEX uses SMETA: the most widely adopted social auditing methodology in the world, enabling businesses to assess their sites and working conditions, and demonstrate evidence of their responsible business practices to their supply chain partners. 

The Bee Farmers Association is the voice of professional beekeeping in the United Kingdom. Its logo confirms an organisation’s membership within the association, and that the member abides to the association’s code of conduct. 

The Sugarmark is a global symbol that adheres to the international quality criteria ‘Codex Alimentarius’, approved by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and World Health Organization food standards programme. 

Bonsucro is a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering economic, environmental and social sustainability in sugar cane production. When you see its logo, you know that an organisation is a Bonsucro member, and that they are committed to creating and maintaining sustainable sugar cane supply chains. Read what Bonsucro membership means to us. 

Because industry accreditations are constantly changing, we proactively make sure we’re fulfilling all the latest, highest requirements.

At Ragus, we never stop monitoring the quality of our products and processes to ensure they keep pace with the latest, highest standards. As accreditations end or new ones are introduced, we make sure we move with the changes so we can always assure our customers of the quality and ethical provenance of our bulk pure sugar syrups and crystalline sugars. 

Ragus supplies bulk sugars to industrial food and beverage producers to enhance product tastes, textures and appearance. Contact a member of our Customer Services Team to find out more. For sugar news and Ragus updates, keep browsing SUGARTALK and follow Ragus on LinkedIn.  

Ibrahim Belo

With a primary responsibility for manufactured product quality control, Ibrahim works within our supplier chain, factory and production laboratory. He has a focus on continuous improvement, implementing and maintaining our technical and quality monitoring processes, ensuring standards and product specifications are met.

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