Zweistra Vlees & Vleeswaren wants operational security

Zweistra Vlees & Vleeswaren produces meat products with traditional craftsmanship. It is common knowledge that the processing of fresh meat products is susceptible to contamination. At Zweistra Vlees & Vleeswaren, they go for absolute safety and operational security.

'With Nocotech, we keep the risk of infection to a minimum'

Passion is the keyword at Zweistra Vlees & Vleeswaren. The artisanal producer of sausages and meat products originates from the own butcher shop in Maartensdijk. “Our passion for making different types of sausages and meat products got a bit out of hand” laughs Monieka Zweistra, co-owner and quality manager of the company. "That was why, in 2014, the family separated the butcher's from the sausages and meat products company. With the expansion from 50 to 500 square metres, we thought we would have enough room for the time being, but we already reached our ceiling in 2017." Soon enough, they found a former clothes warehouse which was also closer to home. A professional contractor took care of the restructuring of the building, and it took only four months to turn it into a modern, completely fitted production company for meat products. "We only had to close for two days."

Passion and quality

The company now has sufficient space. "We have the ambition to grow", says Monieka. "But not at all costs! As long as we have time to be on the production floor ourselves, we will keep our passion. We want to carry that passion forward to our team." This drive for their profession is mirrored at the workplace, but also in the quality of the products. "My boys like to make smoked sausages", Monieka proudly tells us. "We have already won several awards. Besides that, we make all kinds of grilled sausages, beef products such as roast beef, smoked cold beef and smoked ribeye, various types of ham, smoked bacon, cooked meat, and much more. We also cut fresh meat, especially for the itinerant trade."

As a quality manager, hygiene is one of her focal points. She has described all the cleaning processes and protocols extensively in the quality manual. "I'm glad that, at our new premises, the basic requirements for safety and hygiene have been significantly improved. We have new machines which were designed on hygiene, all the caulked seams are clean, and everything is free of moulds and bacteria. And we like to keep it that way. That is why we use Nocotech by Simpel Desinfecteren."

What is Nocotech? 

"Nocotech is a system that produces a dry damp. This damp kills all the bacteria, moulds, and viruses", explains Hugo ter Hoeve of Simpel Desinfecteren. "The dry damp consists of OH ions. It reaches anywhere and everything in the room and reacts with organic material. It kills micro-organisms and dissolves with it. There is no need to rinse afterwards. When the process has been completed, the area is immediately ready and safe to use again."

The new premises has eight rooms where food is processed. "Together with Zweistra, we labelled four as 'high-care areas' and four as 'low-care areas'", Hugo continues. "Partly based on the number of cubic metres, we make a detailed programme which the company's staff can use very easily."

"For us, this is the perfect addition to our usual, thorough cleaning activities", says Monieka. "The great thing about it is that you have no residue. After just a short period of time, it is safe to continue the production process in a perfectly clean and dry production room. This work method gives me a sense of operational security. I don't have to worry about hygiene. With Nocotech, we are ahead of any issues and keep the risk of infection to a minimum."

Regulations

The food processing industry, especially when it concerns meat and fish, is constantly scrutinised. Monieka: "The branch is enveloped in regulations and enforcement. That's only logical. Thankfully, we have our affairs in good order". It goes without saying that the company has the FSSC 22.000 certificate, a high standard when it comes to food safety. "This certificate also reassures our customers. It proves that we take good care of these issues, but it is not where our care for quality ends. We are very selective when it comes to choosing our suppliers, we want to know where our meat originates from. We demand high-quality products from them, our customers can expect the same from us. We guarantee that", says Monieka.

www.simpeldesinfecteren.nl