The company claims that the certification program, which it began back in 2005, can help processors to step up productivity and safety in their production cycles through online testing and skills assessments. The company states that more than 170 leading liquid food manufacturers have adopted the certification across 63 global markets, a figure it hopes to increase by expanding the scheme to better serve the demands of processors. Lars Pålsson, group area manager of technical services, claimed that the training offered mutual benefits to both Tetra Pak and its customers, by adding additional efficiency value to its processing technologies. "The operator is key to an efficient production process," he stated. "Our operator certification and Operator Training Services focus both on competence and increased operator motivation." Tetra Pak says that the training is designed to encourage higher and more consistent quality within finished products, while also reducing the need for stopping the production cycle. Another key focus of the scheme is to ensure that operators are given sufficient competence to meet increasingly strict safety requirements in manufacturing, according to the group. As such, the certification requires operators to be proficient in the requirements of the International Standards Organization (ISO), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The claims came this week as the group announced that it completed its 1000 certification for operating filling machine technologies with a Russia-based juice manufacturer.
