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What is Quality Assurance?
The Quality Assurance department at Jimmy Joy ensures the food safety and quality of all our products. This covers the whole production chain - from raw materials to the delivery of the final food product so that we meet the highest level of food safety.
In order to maintain this, the department is monitoring, checking and analyzing every step of the production process by following the latest updates from the NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority), EFSA’s peer reviews and the HACCP system. We’d like to take you through the several stages of our Quality Assurance processes to give you a better idea of how this goes to work.
Quality Control
Our quality control starts before the ingredients arrive at Jimmy Joy; at the level of our ingredient suppliers. We work with suppliers who follow similar quality systems, such as BRC, IFS, ISO or FSSC22000. In addition, the products need to be clean and clear of microbiological, chemical, physical or allergic hazards, for which a thorough risk assessment is done for each individual ingredient we use. Through the Certificate of Analysis we make sure that the ingredients are microbiologically, physically and chemically safe before we incorporate the ingredients in our production line. Via third party labs we test our products for the presence of undesired hazards such as heavy metals and pesticides, something we comply with and monitor constantly in order for us to mitigate possible risks.
- Lab results Plenny Drink v2.1
- Lab results Plenny Bar v3.0
- Lab results Plenny Pot v1.0
- Lab results Plenny Shake v3.0
- Lab results Plenny Shake Active v3.1
In the warehouse
The next step in the process is the quality assurance of our own warehouse — protecting our raw materials and finished products from contamination by sealing and covering them with protecting plastics.
In the production facilities
The next critical step is at the level of our production and packaging facilities, where we make everything that is in our hands to ensure that the quality of our products is maintained throughout their shelf life.
Our production facilities in Amsterdam.
We start the production of our Plenny Shake by weighing, sieving and mixing the ingredients. After that: filling and sealing the pouches, and performing metal detection. These steps are done in a climate-controlled room which is especially built for food preparation. This space is cleaned daily, and on a biweekly basis an in-depth cleaning is done to clear up any possible spillages, as well as to prevent the growth of undesired bacteria. As part of our Quality Assurance program, a routinary check for Total Plate Count, Clostridium Perfringens, Bacillus Cereus and Listeria is done and complied with.
An internal and external calibration of our weight scales is performed by comparing the display of the balance to the value of reference standard weights, and adjusting the machines when necessary, allowing a proper stabilisation time.
To ensure a safe working environment, a site inspection and a glass control inspection are performed every 2 months. Furthermore, we work together with a pest control company to strengthen and stabilise our facilities, so that conditions are unfavourable for pests and undesired physical hazards.
Our production facilities in Amsterdam.
Our Plenny Bars are designed with a low water activity to eliminate the risk of any pathogen growth and sealed in a multi-layer film material made of metalized orientated polypropylene. This type of packaging fulfills diverse roles such as protecting the product, preventing spoilage, contamination, extending shelf life, and ensuring safe storage. The metalized component provides a high gas barrier. The package film has a very low moisture vapor transmission rate, which both prevents the product from drying and allows the product to maintain its stability even in the most humid conditions.
Sensory characteristics and water activity are monitored from the production moment, throughout the full shelf life of the bars, where scheduled Total Viable Count and Salmonella laboratory testing is done to ensure product safety and quality. All bars are metal detected and X-rayed before packing.
The packaging used for our Plenny Drinks is called Tetra Pak. This is a combination of three different materials being; paperboard, polyethene and aluminium foil. Each material has its unique characteristics that contribute to the high quality of the product. Paperboard is the main material used to create the body and shape of the package. Also, the smoothness of this material is perfect for printing our lovely artwork on it! In between the paperboard and aluminium foil, there’s a thin layer of polyethene. This material works perfectly as a moisture barrier. Besides the previous, the nutritional value and tasty flavour of the Plenny Drink are maintained by the aluminium foil layer, which protects the product from oxygen and light.
Our Plenny Pot meals are packed in big pouches that contain three material layers. The first one is a polyethylene (PE) layer, which is an excellent barrier to water and environmental changes. The second layer consists of a polyethylene layer made of recycled material which gives protection to the food against deterioration while using recycled material. The third and final layer of this pouch contains polyethylene together with ethylene vinyl alcohol. This layer is the thickest layer and provides excellent barrier properties against oxygen and other gases. It helps to preserve the quality and freshness of the food inside the pouch.
In addition we perform checks on the retention of vitamins and minerals during shelf life of our meals.
We carry out quarterly meetings for feedback and performance review, and we train our staff to ensure a high level of understanding of the different safety standards. All our processes, orders, analyses, inspections and cleaning controls are documented and reviewed by an external auditor once a year, to make sure we are compliant with the latest standards of food quality established by the NVWA and HACCP system.
And last but not least...
The result of our efforts and hard work end at your doorstep, to which we try to deliver our tasty products as soon as possible so that you can enjoy them. The delivery times vary depending on your location.
If you have any questions about our products, the brand concept or our Terms and Conditions, feel free to consult our FAQ section, or to reach out via email.
Our dedicated customer care team strives to answer all incoming questions as soon as possible. Their fast average response time is below 5 hours!
We take your health and safety very seriously, and are constantly looking for ways to improve and optimize this process.
Thank you for your trust, enjoy the Plenny family!
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