Leveraging Your NSF Certification: Now that you've received NSF Certification ... why not leverage the Mark to your advantage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2008
CONTACTS: Greta Houlahan
NSF International
Phone: (+1) 734-913-5723
Email: houlahan@nsf.org
Ivana Petricevic
Jana, Inc.
Phone: +385 (1) 23 93 206
Email: ivana.petricevic@jamnica.hr
NSF Beverage Quality Certification – A Priority for One of Europe’s Leading Bottled Water Producers
The First Company in the Balkan Region to Achieve NSF Beverage Quality Certification
ZAGREB, Croatia & ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF International recently interviewed Ivana Petricevic, Quality Manager at Jana, Inc. (dba Jamnica d.d.), a leader in the European bottled water industry, to discuss the importance of Beverage Quality Certification. NSF Beverage Quality Certification underscores Jana’s commitment to produce safer, higher-quality products.
During the interview, Ivana Petricevic discusses the importance of certification, the process involved and offers advice for companies who would like to obtain certification.
“Our efforts to put Jana in the American market brought us to NSF,” said Ivana Petricevic of Jana, the official bottled water of Madison Square Garden. “NSF Certification represents a quality product and quality production, which facilitates entering into new markets.”
Jana’s bottling facility is located in Gorica Svetojanska in Croatia where the water is bottled at the source at an underground depth of 2,500 feet. In order to receive Beverage Quality Certification, Ivana Petricevic explained that NSF auditors conducted a rigorous facility audit, which included verifying Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and food safety requirements. The NSF audits also verified compliance with the European Union Directives, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, as well as NSF requirements. Water samples were subject to toxicological, microbial, chemical, physical and radiological tests to ensure compliance with NSF Certification standards. Water samples are also taken annually to ensure ongoing compliance.
“Certification denotes quality,” said Ivana Petricevic. “To us, as a producer, certification confirms good production practices are being followed and to the user it means safety when choosing our product.”
Jana recently expanded its facilities by opening a new bottling facility in Saint Jana.
“The facility is equipped with the most up-to-date bottling technology in this part of Europe,” said Ivana Petricevic. “Working on fulfilling NSF’s stringent criteria, we designed a bottling plant that satisfied all the requirements for selling in the international market, including the specific criteria of the U.S. FDA.”
When asked what advice to give bottlers undertaking NSF Certification, Petricevic encouraged companies to evaluate where they are in terms of quality and process and make sure that all staff is on board before starting the certification process.
“NSF Beverage Quality Certification is a very demanding program,” explained Ivana Petricevic. “It includes meeting prerequisites, implementing a HACCP system, as well as fulfilling the rest of the necessary requirements, but the end result is worth the effort. As a result of NSF Certification, a company can get a complete picture of their existing business system, and by that, the potential to continually improve operations.”
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Srdjan Stankov (left), NSF Sales Representative, recently interviewed Ivana Petricevic, Quality Manager at Jana, Inc., to discuss the company's NSF Beverage Quality Certification. |
Srdjan Stankov asks about Jana’s future goals for the American market. |
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Ivana Petricevic (left) shakes hands with Srdjan Stankov prior to the interview. |
(left to right) Srdjan Stankov; Ivana Petricevic; Mr. Ivica Sertic, President of the Board; Mr. Marinko Plestina, Director of Production; and Miss Lidija Mihalic, EMS Manager, pose proudly next to their NSF Certified bottled water. |
Jana has a quality management system certified to the ISO 9001 standard and has implemented a HACCP system. NSF Certification further demonstrates a systematic approach to their bottling business, including product control and production process control.
In the Southeastern region of Europe, Jana is the leading imported water in neighboring countries. In the future, Jana expects to strengthen their position in the foreign markets in which they are already present and recognized for their quality.
“We also have high aspirations to spread into other markets. One of our major goals is to appear in Russian areas and to broaden our sales throughout all 50 American states,” added Ivana Petricevic.
Background on NSF Beverage Quality Certification
The NSF Beverage Quality Certification Process provides the bottled water industry a program designed to assist in establishing the credibility of bottled water products. Founded on globally accepted requirements, NSF’s Beverage Quality Program conducts annual, unannounced plant inspections covering every aspect of a bottler's operation, from the source of the water, through the disinfection and treatment process, and including the container closure process. Extensive laboratory testing is also performed on the beverage product for over 160 chemical, inorganic, radiological and microbiological contaminants. Bottlers meeting all requirements are authorized to use the NSF Mark and are included on NSF's Web site.
To view a transcript of the interview in English, click here. To view the video of the interview, click here. For more information on NSF Beverage Quality Certification, visit NSF's Web site or email beveragequalitysales@nsf.org.
About Jamnica d.d: Jamnica joints-stock Company is the largest Croatian producer of natural mineral water, natural artesian water and nonalcoholic beverages, with a tradition going back to 1828 (http://www.jamnica.hr/). Jamnica has grown into one of the largest and most modern European bottlers of mineral and artesian waters in South Eastern Europe.
Within the Jamnica group are the Jamnica Bottler of Natural Mineral Water, the Sveta Jana Bottler of Natural Artesian Water and Nonalcoholic Beverages, the Juicy Bottler of Natural Fruit Juices, the Sarajevski Kiseljak Bottler of Natural Mineral Water and Nonalcoholic Beverages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Fonyodi Bottler of Mineral Water in Hungary. The company's brand portfolio includes Jamnica, Jana, Juicy, Juicy Fruits, Smart, Sarajevski Kiseljak, Sky and Fonyodi.
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.
