Nortech Foods, the leading supplier of boxed frying, baking and roasting products, has become the first packed oil company in Europe to achieve independent RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) supply chain certification for its sustainable palm oil and bakery shortening products. This independent accreditation, undertaken by BM TRADA, means that food manufacturers, bakers and caterers have the assurance that they are using palm oil products that are part of a fully traceable and sustainable supply chain.

Earlier this year, Nortech Foods announced its collaboration with New Britain Oils Limited (NBOL) to supply the UK food manufacturing industry with the first packed sustainable palm oil products. The accreditation from RSPO means that customers know that they are buying from an approved source and part of a segregated supply chain.

In order to gain independent accreditation from the RSPO, Nortech Foods had to undergo an intensive audit process to prove the correct processes were in place, that oil is segregated from any non-sustainable oil at all times, as well as being fully traceable and correctly labelled.

“We are delighted to be the first company to be certified and able to offer segregated sustainable and traceable palm oil and bakery shortenings to the catering, food manufacturing and catering sectors,” says Gary Lewis, commercial manager at Nortech Foods. “This verification means our customers know that what they are buying is fully traceable to a sustainable source.

“This is an important development as there continues to be a certain amount of confusion and even mistrust about some of the supply chain claims that are being made in the market place. As manufacturers are increasingly being put under the spotlight for their oil procurement choices and face growing pressure to use sustainable products, we feel that giving customers the confidence that the supply chain is independently verified and traceable is of huge importance to the integrity of the standard.”

Nortech operates separate production areas for its sustainable palm oil products, with dedicated tanks and delivery areas to ensure that there is no cross contamination with animal fats or with non-sustainable palm oil products. This process has been awarded Efsis/BRC Grade A quality standard and is kosher approved.

This certification builds on New Britain Oils’ supply chain, which is also independently verified by BM TRADA and whose palm oil only comes from Papua New Guinea, is 100% RSPO Certified Sustainable and includes the production from over 7,000 certified sustainable smallholders.

To find out more about Nortech Food’s sustainable palm oil and other packed oil and fat products visit http://www.nortechfoods.co.uk.

Nortech Foods is part of the PDM Group, the UK’s largest food chain recyclers – using food chain by-products to create new edible products, pet food ingredients and renewable energy.