Providing third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development.

As the final link in the value chain to consumers, retailers and restaurants are on the frontlines of food safety and quality assurance. To protect your reputation and limit your liability from food safety incidents and recalls, your quality assurance department needs to have the most competent and capable resources at its disposal.

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SCS has been providing independent food safety and HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) training and management consulting for retailers since 1988, and provides a full suite of QA services unmatched by any competitor:

• Food Safety Audits - Food safety and security auditing and certification services for supply chain- GFSI (SQF, BRC, GlobalG.A.P.), Tesco Nurture, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
• Training - Customized food safety and security training, inspections
• HACCP Plan - HACCP management plan development and verification for retail QA team
• Pesticides and Organic - Retail loading dock, cooler and distribution center-based testing programs to monitor pesticide residue levels and verify organic claims
• Contaminants - Customized analytical testing services for metals, industrial chemicals, and other contaminants of concern
• Shelf-life - Shelf-life studies under various storage and display conditions

Good flavor is one of the key drivers of repeat fresh produce sales. Likewise, consumer interest in natural sources of antioxidants and other key nutrients has never been higher.

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SCS offers industry-leading flavor and nutrient management services aimed at helping food retailers optimize your operations and supply chains for flavor and nutrition. Services include:

• Training - Sensory training to expand buyer knowledge
• Testing - Analytical testing and sensory panel evaluation for internal and competitive analysis
• Management Protocols - Flavor and nutrient management protocols for suppliers and retail handling
• Certification - Antioxidant Superfood, Pesticide Residue Free, and Certified Sustainably Grown certification for your preferred suppliers.

Sustainable agriculture is rapidly emerging as the dominant theme in environmental and socially responsible food and fiber production for the 21st century, reinforced by international agreements, national regulations, and private programs around the world.

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SCS is a specialist in sustainable production systems auditing, standards development and certification, allowing you to select and promote products that satisfy your most demanding customers:

• SCS Certified Sustainably Grown. A leadership certification standard applicable to crops around the world.
• Veriflora®. The gold standard in certification of cut flowers and potted plants, and the input materials, plant media and packages used to produce and ship these products.
• Fair Trade USA. SCS provides independent certification services for companies seeking certification by Fair Trade USA.
• Bonsucro®. SCS is an accredited certifier to this new sugar certification standard.
• Biofuels. SCS is working with national and internationally-recognized standards (existing or under development), and is now or soon will be accredited under Bonsucro, ISCC, the new Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), Council for Sustainable Biofuel Production standards (CSBP).

Ask us about how we can help you train your staff and effectively merchandise these products.

Grocers and restaurants alike are grappling with sustainability issues that extend beyond food production. Environmental claims for food packaging, cutlery and products on the non-food aisles of the store should all meet clear standards to ensure that they are not misleading consumers with "greenwashing" claims.

SCS provides extensive environmental claims certifications and validations to ensure that your private label products, food packaging and eating utensils live up to the environmental claims they assert, in full conformance with US Federal Trade Commission Green Guides. We also work directly with retailers to help you establish specifications for private label products vendors.