Advantage Profile: Pearl Trading CompanyHACCP certification gives poultry processor a competitive edgeWhen Brian Sequeira founded his own poultry processing company 13 years ago, he didn't want to deal in run-of-the-mill chicken. So instead of the water-chilled birds that are an industry standard, he opted for air-chilled, grain-fed poultry that provides a more moist and flavourful product, according to connoisseurs. "It's a special niche. There's a great demand in select markets for this type of product," Brian explains. Armed with a year and a half of experience he gained working as an assistant sales manager for another poultry processor, he built Pearl Trading Company from a fledgling enterprise into a flourishing operation. Under the Advantage HACCP program, every step of the manufacturing process at the Pearl Trading plant is meticulously monitored and documented. 
Figure 1: Brian Sequeira,
President, Pearl Trading Company Today, 13 employees produce chicken supremes, butterfly chicken breasts, specialty sized cuts, and deboned Cornish hens, quails, pheasants and turkey for customers that include major supermarkets, high-end restaurants, convention centres, golf clubs, hospitals and retirement homes across the greater Toronto area. It's a discriminating clientele, so when Brian wanted to assure his customers that the poultry they were buying met the highest possible food safety standards, Advantage HACCP certification was the clear choice. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Advantage HACCP program covers everything from water supply and sanitation to shipping and storage programs. It focuses on preventing problems before they occur, using a systemic, science-based approach tailored to small and mid-sized food processing plants. "It's the way to go today because we're dealing with a very sensitive product," Brian says. To achieve certification under the program, Pearl Trading had to pass a demanding audit conducted by the Canadian General Standards Board, a federal government agency. From the moment raw material enters the plant until the final product is shipped out, every step is meticulously monitored and documented. Employees wear hairnets and gloves at all times and sanitize their hands regularly. Strict protocols ensure that the highest levels of hygiene are maintained throughout the plant, while regular meetings help to reinforce the Advantage HACCP program and keep everyone on their toes. Certification demanded more than a year of hard work, but it has given Pearl Trading an edge over their competition. As proof, Brian points to a growing list of high-end accounts. "Advantage HACCP certification distinguishes our product from any average product available," he says. "It separates the wheat from the chaff." New clients are impressed that the plant meets internationally recognized food safety standards, while existing clients are happy the company is doing everything it can to deliver food safety. Indeed, since Pearl Trading earned its HACCP certification in 2005, the plant has garnered a triple A rating from OMAFRA every year - the highest rating available for food safety performance. Brian has seen spin-off benefits among his employees, who feel more important because they know they're delivering a premium product. Nor is that feeling confined to the plant floor. "Even if it's an average account that I'm serving, the knowledge that I'm delivering a fully guaranteed product to the customer gives me total satisfaction," says Brian. "Advantage HACCP is a very, very good food safety program." Contact Information:Brian Sequeira, President, Pearl Trading Company "Advantage HACCP certification distinguishes
our product from any average product available," says Brian. "It separates
the wheat from the chaff."
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