This is the translation of the phrase stated on a board in OSI’s head office, in Chicago (Illinois, USA) which summarizes the group’s policy: “offer products and services with high level of technology, quality and food safety, at a fair value, which meet or exceed the expectations of its customers and shareholders”.

Braslo has its own Quality Management System, basically guided by three pillars: Food Safety, Compliance with the Law and Customers’ Satisfaction.

This system was developed and enhanced by means of compliance with the international standards of quality translated by the certificates and accreditations to export to several markets and compliance with the customers’ specific needs.

The OSI Group has a Corporate Quality staff that, acting in several countries and markets, is apt to divulge and enhance the concepts and practices of quality management by OSI’s Quality Policies. All of the OSI Group’s plants are trained in the policies and audited, maintaining the continuous improvement system by means of sharing the best operating practices of the Group’s plants, in the world.

Braslo bases its operating action in the excellence in quality, from the development of the supplier, passing through the stages of production, storage, distribution and customer service.

We have a technical staff for the Development of Suppliers that qualifies and audits, annually, the plants of suppliers, with the purposes of ensuring the standards of quality of the raw materials that we use. The suppliers are audited in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), Well-being and Traceability. The work of this group of suppliers is evaluated, monthly, by the verification of the conformities with the pre-established and approved specifications.

The raw materials are evaluated in the reception in relation to the transport specifications and conditions. The lots of raw material are collected for analysis, in our Microbiology Laboratory, observing the pre-established sampling plan. The Microbiology Laboratory of Braslo is acknowledged by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply and works in accordance with the ISO 17025 standard.

During the receipt, each raw material receives a lot number and bar code, i.e., identification that will follow it until it becomes a final product. This way, we ensure the traceability of all our final products.

Braslo has an effective and computerized traceability control system, capable of ensuring the exact location of all lots of raw materials, inputs, packaging and final products. Periodically, this system is checked by simulations and ensured by training and monitoring, in the production line.

The company has implemented the programs of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), besides several Quality Policies that contemplate, among others: Control of Physical Risks and Control of Allergens. All storage and production areas have controlled and monitored temperature, automatically.

During the stages of the productive process, process parameters are controlled, like weight and dimensions of the products, pre-frying temperature and time, product coloring, physical aspect, freezing temperature, as well as all Control Points (CPs) and Critical Control Points (CCPs) are checked. It is important to stress that all production lines count on metal detectors and the cooked products have temperatures monitored and recorded, both considered Critical Control Points.

The process parameters controls are made in accordance with the concepts of Statistical Process Control (SPC), as well as the analysis of the characteristics of the final product. This way, we could ensure that the process is maintained under control, thus avoiding deviations that compromise the quality of our products.

All final products undergo a sensorial evaluation, at least every two hours, by a trained technical team, in our Sensorial Analysis Laboratory, with the purpose of ensuring criteria of flavor, appearance and texture, in accordance with the specifications agreed with the customers.

There is technical team of Field Consultants that makes technical training at the customers, with the intention of ensuring that the product will be prepared in such a way as to guarantee the sensorial characteristics and the food safety. In these visits, the stages of reception and storage of products are also checked.

This way, we work the quality in the whole chain, from the supplier to the customer, passing through the stages of production, storage, distribution and preparation, aiming to always guarantee the best product to our customers.

The care starts with the choice of suppliers, which are audited by technicians from Braslo trained to ensure that the raw material received has food safety and that it is within the specifications required by Braslo and its customers. The stages of productive process are monitored by production, process and quality teams that make samplings to ensure that the microbiological, sensorial and physical specifications, like net weight, size of parts and visual aspect, are correct. All of this work is made to ensure that our customer receives the products within the specification agreed with the company.

Even after the products have been distributed to the customers, the quality control of Braslo continues, with the Field Consultants. In this stage, a trained technician visits the restaurants and inspects the reception, storage and preparations stages of the products, to ensure that the products are served to the final consumers under ideal conditions.

By checking and training those responsible in the sales point in relation to food safety, storage conditions and handling, Braslo makes it possible for all, independently of the location of the sales point, to be trained adequately, ensuring the customer’s satisfaction.