derivatives and other substances that are not
naturally present in them. These maximum
tolerance values are based on the relevant
EU regulations.
Our operating companies are only allowed to
purchase malted barley, hops and kieselguhr from
approved suppliers, who are obliged to maintain
rigid quality systems, including entry checks for
their own supplies and carrying out periodic audits.
In addition, all approved suppliers are subject to
regular quality audits by Heineken. During 2007,
this system will become mandatory for the
purchase of all locally sourced ingredients by our
operating companies. In breweries that have an
ISO 9000 series certificate this is already the case.
We carry out checks on samples taken from all
raw materials when they enter our breweries.
To safeguard the integrity of our products during
the brewing, fermentation, lagering and bottling
phases of our production process, all our
breweries are obliged to maintain a Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.
All our beers, wherever brewed, are subject to
a central, annual analysis which is based on
food safety parameters. The water quality in our
breweries is constantly monitored. All water used
in brewing is subject to a full analysis aimed at
detecting every conceivable contamination, every
two years. These analyses help us to determine
trends in food safety and provide input to our
audit programme by highlighting specific food
safety risks in certain ingredients.
Over the past decade we have worked hard to
monitor our products, from transport conditions
and arrival of ingredients and other materials
(such as crown corks) through to pallets carrying
finished products. For barley and hops, provenance
is traced right back to the fields in which crops
are grown. This close monitoring helps us to act
swiftly if any product batch is not in perfect order.
It also helps us to understand what has gone
wrong and take active steps to prevent the same
problem in the future. In the countries that have
recently joined the European Union, we actively
stimulate suppliers to set up systems that provide
improved traceability.
