• This seal of approval certifies that the protocols and actions undertaken by the company ensure strict application of the most suitable and up-to-date health and safety protocols for its workers. In addition, that it is following the criteria and recommendations from the health authorities, reducing the possibility of spreading the virus to an absolute minimum.

Costa Food Meat, part of the meat holding group Costa Food Group, has obtained the certificate for its COVID-19 protocols from AENOR, endorsing the measures applied by the company as both well implemented and effective. Thus, Costa Food Meat is underpinning its compliance with the directives laid out by the Ministry of Health on prevention and hygiene in times of COVID-19.

The methodology for this certification is based on constantly updated recommendations from national and international organisations and requires a complete overhaul of the management of risks arising from COVID-19. Among other matters, the audit assesses the action protocols in place for this coronavirus and compliance with them.

Since the state of alert was declared, Costa Food Meat, as a food company, has upheld its activity responsibly, helping to ensure the population is supplied with food. This has required the company to tighten its safety and hygiene measures in line with recommendations from the health authorities, and other international organisations, to ensure the health and well-being of the company’s workers, suppliers and clients.

Hence, action protocols were designed and implemented within the workplaces throughout the different phases of the state of alert. This includes prevention, action and lock-down measures; training on prevention for the workers regarding the guidelines laid out by the health authorities to maintain their health and that of their colleagues; temperature checks; an increased number of disinfection sites at production centre access points; creation of an entry/exit strategy for shifts by sections to establish firewalls and avoid contagion; increased distances between workers; creation of new common areas to ensure the recommended physical distancing at all times; and provision of all PPE necessary for people to do their work, among others.

“These are difficult times, where we are all learning every day, so we can adapt in the best way possible to this situation,” noted Jorge Costa, CEO of Costa Food Group. “Our efforts are focused on taking care of our employees and minimising the risk of propagating the virus in our production centres as far as possible so we can continue to supply the food chain”.

Meanwhile, Rafael García Meiro, CEO of AENOR, had this to say: “Costa Food Meat has shown that their commitment to providing a service to society is foremost in their considerations and coherent with their position. Their sound protocols and the certificates obtained strongly endorse the trust required for the food sector to quickly recover its role as a key contribution to society and the economy”.

About AENOR

AENOR is a professional services organisation that identifies and helps correct gaps in competitiveness in companies, sectors and the economic fabric in general. It is helping with the transformation of society, creating trust among people and organisations through compliance assessment services (certificates, inspections and testing), training and information.

AENOR is the leading certification organisation in Spain and currently provides its services to some 90 countries. Over 82,000 workplaces worldwide have received certificates from AENOR in fields ranging from Quality Management, Sustainability, Verification of Non-Financial Information, Animal Welfare, Health & Safety at Work, to Digitalization and Compliance.