Quality
It is often normal to confuse food safety with quality. The latter includes a complex range of characteristics that have influence in its value and acceptance to the consumer (nutritional value), sensory properties (appearance, color, odor, texture and taste) and a lot of them can be subjected to commercial negotiations.
HACCP methodologies (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), basic systems of food safety, are essentials to guarantee safe food. Moreover, this system allows preventing losses due to inadequate managements, to reduce, eliminate and control physical, chemical and biological hazards.
The aspiration is to move forward beyond the hazard identification and control implementing a management system which includes a food safety culture within a framework of continuous improvement. For that, we certify the Food Safety Management System, ISO 22000 that in exclusive ways contains a group of regulations and food safety basic systems.
Refinería del Centro directs its activity taking into account the economical, social and environmental aspects. In this way, it combines the productive processes and the basis of the Corporate Social Responsibility to the activity itself and its incidence in the work conditions, the relationship between suppliers and customers, the local communities and the society in general. It also juggles the activity with the environmental preservation.
As all the industries, when transforming a raw material into a product, Refinería del Centro produces solid, liquid and gaseous emissions. To neutralize these effects and to keep it controlled by the control public body, it organizes these emissions which come from its productive processes.
Liquid Emissions
The modern plant of effluent liquid treatment transforms in bio-mass the organic charge of these effluents through the air injection as an oxygen contributor, vital element in the organic material transformation. The effluent treated in that way is transformed into bio-mass plus limpid water that, once separated, is sent to two stabilization ponds for its final refining. The bio-mass is dried and it is used as a fertilizer due to its rich content of nitrogen and phosphorus.
In the ponds, the oxygen injection is produced, which comes from the hydrogen production plants, whose aim is to contribute a final concentration of itself that secures the development of the surrounding ecosystem, complying with demands of the environmental regulations. As a result, a sustainable balance is promoted in time with proliferation of a natural flora and fauna.
Gaseous emissions
The modern system of vapor treatment, named deodorizing oxydator or thermodestructor, it captures and eliminates the 99% of odors which emanate from the cooking process (fat fusion and protein denaturing) from the non edible sub product of the cold- storage chamber. All the equipments from where the odors are captured are closed and interconnected by pipes that connect vapor to the treatment, in which gases with odors are heated up to 950ºC of temperature and maintained in that way during a second, ensuring that all organic volatiles were rusted until it turns into water and carbon dioxide. Then, a heat recovery boiler transforms the energy of the combustion gases into water steam which is sent to the cooking plant (fat fusion and proteins denaturing) to keep processing raw material, working in a closed cooking circle, odor capturing, rusting and steam generation to produce more tallow.
Refinería del Centro is the only company in the country which have an equipment of these characteristics.
Regulator and Regulatory Framework
• Código Alimentario Argentino (Argentine Food Code)
• Decreto 815/1999 y 4238/1968 (Decree 815/1999 and 4238/1968)
• SENASA (National Service for Agri-food Health and Quality)
• Secretaría de Alimentos de la Provincia (Province Food Secretary)
• Secretaría ambiente de la Provincia de Córdoba (Environmental Secretary of the Province of Córdoba)
• Secretaría de Recursos Hídricos (DIPAS) (Secretary of Water Resource)
• Municipalidad de Córdoba: Habilitaciones de Establecimientos (Municipality of Córdoba: Establishment Authorization)
• IRAM: Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación (IRAM: Argentine Institute of Normalization and Certification)
• Buscador de normativas legales vinculadas a los alimentos publicadas por el Boletín Oficial (Searcher of legal regulations linked to the food published by the Official Gazette)
FSSC22000
FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) is a certification scheme based on the requirements of ISO 22000, ISO / TS 22002 and Additional Requirements for food manufacturers.
Globaly, FSSC22000 certification scheme is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative, internationally known as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which is a global network led by its members and made up of representatives from the food industrie. Representatives from leading food companies participate in GFSI's executive boards. such as McDonald's, Danone Group, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., among others. Coca-Cola Company USA, Wal-Mart USA, Starbucks Belgium, Kraft Foods Germany, Cargil USA, Carrefour Group France, Costco Wholesale USA, among others.
RSE
Corporate Social Responsibility (From the abrebviattion in Spanish) is a commitment acquired by companies generally engaged in the pursuit of economic or commercial purposes. This commitment is voluntary and seeks the social, economic and environmental improvement of society.
From the year 2014 the company Refinería del Centro incorporated within its mission the social development and the preservation of the natural resources as fundamental elements for the economic growth of the organization.
This led to the declaration of a RSE policy to define the guidelines that allow our company to achieve its economic objectives, generating a positive impact on the social environment directly or indirectly affected by our activity, and beginning to emphasize the development of good practices regarding the care of the environment forging the foundations of our environmental management system.
From this, in 2016, the environmental policy was defined and the training of the environmental team and the process of certification of the ISO 14001 standard took place.
Similarly, the company decided to promote the development of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, incorporating professionals and instruments and promoting a management system.
The provisions of this policy are minimum but not maximum, since its purpose is to offer workers the greatest possible protection, to minimize environmental impact and to contribute to sustainability through ethical and transparent conduct.
REFINERIA del CENTRO SA is committed to sustainability through the following principles in order to put them into practice and promote their application in their sphere of influence:
a) Regarding respect for human rights and fundamental rights at work:
1. EMPLOYMENT WILL BE SELECTED FREE
1.1 There will be no work in involuntary, forced or bonded prison (reduction to servitude).
1.2 Workers shall not be required to leave 'deposits' or identity documents in the custody of the employer and shall be free to leave their employment.
2. THE FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS SHALL BE RESPECTED
2.1 Workers without any distinction have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing, as well as to negotiate jointly in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Union Associations Act.
2.2 The employer shall adopt an open attitude towards the activities of the trade unions as well as their organizational activities.
2.3 Workers' representatives shall not be discriminated against and shall have access to perform their representative functions in the workplace.
3. WORKING CONDITIONS WILL BE SAFE AND HYGIENIC
3.1 A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, taking into account the prevailing knowledge of the industry as well as any specific hazards. The necessary measures will be taken to avoid accidents and health damages that may arise, or be associated, or that occur in the course of work, by reducing, as far as reasonably, the causes of the inherent hazards to the environment labor.
3.2 Workers will receive training regularly and in writing on health and hygiene, which will be repeated for new or designated workers.
3.3 Access to clean services and potable water and, if necessary, sanitary facilities for food storage
4. NO CHILD LABOR WILL BE USED
4.1 There will be no contracting of child labor, in compliance with Law 26,847
4.2 Children and young people under the age of 18 shall not be employed.
5. A WAGE WAGE WILL BE PAID
5.1 The wages and benefits paid for a week of normal work shall comply with at least the national legal norms or industrial norms of reference, or whichever is higher.
5.2 All workers shall be given written and understandable information on their working conditions in relation to wages before accepting employment and on the details of their wages during the pay period in question each time they receive the wages.
5.3 Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions be provided by national law and all disciplinary measures shall be recorded.
6. HOURS OF WORK WILL NOT BE EXCESSIVE
6.1 Working hours shall comply with Law 20.744 and its amendments.
6.2 In any case, workers will not work regularly for more than 48 hours per week and will have at least one day off every 7 days. Overtime will be voluntary, and will not exceed 12 hours per week, 30 per month or 200 hours per year and will not require regular
7. NO DISCRIMINATION
7.1 There shall be no discrimination in recruiting, compensating, forming, promoting, extinguishing or retiring on grounds of race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, status, sexual orientation, union membership or policy.
8. A REGULAR WORK WILL BE PROVIDED
8.1 In all respects, the work performed must be based on recognized labor relations established through national legislation and practice.
8.2 Obligations for employees subject to labor or social security legislation and regulations deriving from regular employment relationships shall not be circumvented through the abusive use of labor contracts, subcontracts or contracts to work at home, or through of internship programs where they do not intend to impart skills or provide employment, nor will they avoid those obligations through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts.
9. INHUMAN OR SEVERE TREATMENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED
9.1 Physical abuse or punishment, physical, sexual or other harassment, verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation are prohibited.
b) Regarding respect for the environment:
1. LOCAL AND NATIONAL LAW RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
1.1 The legal requirements in environmental matters will be analyzed periodically to ensure compliance.
1.2 Permits related to the use and disposal of natural resources must be in force.
1.3 In aspects of the operation that may imply some environmental impact, mechanisms for monitoring and continuous improvement will be established.
c) Regarding business ethics:
1. LOCAL AND NATIONAL LAW RELATED TO ETHICAL ASPECTS WILL BE RESPECTED
1.1 The legal requirements regarding ethical issues will be analyzed periodically to ensure compliance.
1.2 In aspects of the operation that may imply some ethical risk, training instances and control mechanisms will be promoted to prevent their non-existence.
The Management of the company assumes responsibility for the management of Occupational Health and Safety, for this, it undertakes to:
Provide technical, economic and human resources to achieve the policy outlined here.
Comply with the legal requirements and other applicable regulations in order to avoid or minimize personal or material damages that could be caused by the activities carried out in Refinería del Centro S.A.
To have permanent and effective internal and external communication channels that allow changes in health and safety to be properly transmitted, implemented and verified.
Establish in each of the activities, effective controls, in order to ensure the safety and health of all members of the organization.
To adapt the competencies of our employees through training standards that aspire to the excellence of our human resources, ensuring that all activities are carried out with sufficient suitability and awareness of their importance.
Annually review our Occupational Health and Safety policy ensuring that it always reflects the company's aspirations for continuous improvement to ensure the safeguard and health care of our employees and the company's responsibility to society.
REFINERIA DEL CENTRO SA, a company specialized in the elaboration of refined bovine fats, margarines, emulsions, refined vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils, interesterified oils or 'Low Trans' and as a non-edible sub product, meat and bone meal for animal feed, whose ultimate objective is to establish programs to prevent and minimize environmental impacts, optimizing the human / technological resources, fomenting within the organization a culture of environmental responsibility, being the fundamental pillar the environmental policy exposed here
Provide technical, economic and human resources for the achievement of the policy outlined here
2) MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT, MINIMIZING AND / OR AVOIDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF OUR ACTIVITY.
3) To comply with the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to THE ACTIVITY, in addition to ALL REQUIREMENTS THAT REFINERED FROM THE SUBSCRIBER CENTER, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
4) EVALUATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE COMPANY DOES
5) ADAPT THE FORMATION OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL, ENSURING THAT ANY ACTIVITY THAT MAY AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT IS PERFORMED WITH SUFFICIENT FITNESS AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF THEIR IMPORTANCE.