Balmoral Estate gets HACCP certification

Balmoral Estate (Clydesdale Processing Centre) Agarapatana owned by Agarapatana Plantations Ltd and managed by Lankem Tea and Rubber Plantations (Pvt) Ltd has been assessed and certified for meeting the requirements of HACCP Codex Alimentarius for manufacture and sale of Black Tea, by M/s. SGS International Certification Services.

The main objective of obtaining HACCP certification is to ensure that the Balmoral Tea Processing Centre minimise all possible Food Safety Hazards in Tea during the manufacturing process by controlling chemical, physical and biological contamination in order to supply teas which fulfil 'Food Safety' requirement of customers, whilst adhering to Codex Guidelines and HACCP principles.

The modernisation and upgrading of the processing centre with the installation of new machinery, resiting of the existing machinery, upgrading of the infrastructure, providing a interacting Centre for training, Workers Meal Room, Rest Room and other facilities were all accomplished, within a short period of time through the joint effort of the executives, staff members and workers, under the leadership of the General Manager of the plantation, T. A. Fernando. Intensive training programmes were conducted by Praguna Management Consultants.

SGS International Services is the certification arm of world renowned SGS Holdings with its Headquarters in Geneva and SGS is presently in 140 countries with over 1,300 branch offices and 350 laboratories worldwide.