Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, has been brokering trust between companies, governments, and society at large for nearly 200 years. Today, the company hosted an open day where various stakeholders were able to tour the state-of-the-art facility in Ormonde, Johannesburg. This open day aligns with the recent launch of the organisation’s global LEAP | 28 strategy, an ambitious, customer-centric strategy to become customers’ preferred p­­artner for excellence and sustainability, offering superior service quality and differentiated solutions.

With a strong legacy built up over almost two centuries, Bureau Veritas operates across six global businesses: Marine & Offshore, Agri Food & Commodities, Consumer Products, Building & Infrastructure, Certification & Industry.

Local laboratories offering global solutions

Bureau Veritas Southern Africa is home to its state-of-the-art AgriFood laboratories based in Ormonde, Johannesburg, and Brackenfell Cape Town, two best-in-class facilities offering a­­­­­­­­ wide range of services.

The Ormonde facility was founded in 1974, ­­­ and offers renowned product testing, inspection, certification, and audit services across various industries including Pharmaceutical and Veterinary; Microbiology, Agriculture/Soil/Pesticides and Water Analysis (Environmental). As part of a global footprint of laboratories, with subject matter experts in chemistry and microbiology, the laboratory is closely aligned to international testing practices and full accreditation in accordance with ISO 17025:2017 standards, and is recognised by the World Health Organisation.

The laboratory continues to evolve and develop with recent activities including the streamlining and refining of processes to ensure smooth and efficient timeous turnaround times driven by robust and effective working methodologies. Quality assurance remains a priority and is rigorously monitored to ensure alignment to global standards.

Top Employer with a proud legacy

With a powerful legacy built on trust, the company has recently obtained two enviable accolades, an affirmation of employee satisfaction. Voted as Top Employer in Southern Africa, followed by scooping the renowned award for Top Employer for Africa; Bureau Veritas focuses on creating long-lasting relationships with customers and stakeholders. “We are proud of our legacy and wholeheartedly geared towards Shaping a World of Trust,” commented Gavin Hefer, District Chief Executive for Bureau Veritas Southern Africa. “Our commitment to customers is key and we are constantly reinventing ourselves to ensure we can meet customer demands, with sustainability at the core of our strategy. We continue to grow and develop, constantly streamlining our processes and business efficiencies.”

Stringent global standards drive differentiated services and innovations

Bureau Veritas supports local protocols and strict international guidelines provide an advantage for the Bureau Veritas laboratories. The laboratories provide a broad, complimentary range of AgriFood testing services from Farm to Fork, to ensure peace of mind for customers. Supported by subject matter experts with a wide range of qualifications from across the globe, the resources provide vast experience and diverse skills. With an enviable reputation as a leading supplier of choice and a responsible player in the marketplace, Bureau Veritas offers the same services at its sister laboratory in Brackenfell, Cape Town.

The latest laboratory testing services announced by Bureau Veritas M&L laboratories are performed in both Ormonde, Johannesburg, and Brackenfell Cape Town laboratories, always delivering the highest levels of service to its customers. Providing global competence from production to finished product, these services include product testing in the laboratories, inspection, certification, and audits, the laboratories cover four primary areas of expertise:

1. Pharmaceutical & Veterinary testing

This vast area of product testing includes various categories: Post Importation testing, Stability storage and testing, Batch and raw material release testing, Dissolution profiles and Analytical method transfer.

2. Microbiology product testing

Product testing spans a wide range of assessments, including Food spoilage and Quality surveillance testing (high tech automated and conventional), Food safety inspection and testing, Pathogen testing, Shelf-life storage and testing, Pharmacopeial Microbiology testing (pharmaceutical), Preservative challenges and efficacy testing and Disinfectants and sanitizers efficacy testing.

3. Agri-Food & Commodities for Inspection and lab testing services

Bureau Veritas laboratories are highly specialised in the Inspection and laboratory testing of food products, boasting an exhaustive list of products that can be analysed and evaluated. A few examples of inspections services include Bulk inspections for Port to Port and Bulk, and container imports and exports inspections. Laboratory testing services include Pesticide trials supported by good laboratory practice, accredited tests to ensure the quality and accuracy of data whilst taking maximum residue limits of pesticide residue into cognizance; namely, the expected residue to remain on food products when a pesticide is used according to label directions that will not be of concern to human health; Agricultural, Maize and Ground nuts crop trials testing (Aflatoxins with Peroxide Value, Free Fatty Acids); as well as Contaminants, metals and food nutritional testing are also conducted. Full nutritional label claim testing is offered, whilst Organoleptic tests, involving the assessment of flavor, odor, appearance, and mouthfeel of a food product are also performed. The company offers an ISO 14001 Environmental certification which indicates compliance with the requisite acceptable standards.

4. Water analysis (environmental)

Water analysis for drinking and borehole water testing has become increasingly important and a mainstay, essential service. Bureau Veritas offers SANS241 potable water testing, as well as Environmental contaminated water analysis and soil testing, mining, effluents, agricultural, domestic, river and dam water testing. Waste classification and safety data sheets are also provided at both laboratories.

Commenting on the laboratory, Managing Director Joanne Barton said: “We are particularly proud of our laboratories and the differentiated solutions they provide. It is extremely rewarding to play a small role in life changing moments, for example – the public obtaining their medications on time or food that is of the correct quality and safe to consume. We are a trusted business-to-society partner and that is crucial to our work. It is all about making a positive difference within a safe and integrity-driven environment.”

Embracing constant change

In conclusion, Hefer commented: “As business and laboratories evolve, we find ourselves in an exciting time of new technology and services, where constant change becomes business as usual. We embrace this way of working, ensuring we can meet customer demands in an ever-increasing world of unpredictable change. That is the norm in the ever-expanding industry of testing, inspection, and certification. At Bureau Veritas we remain committed to Safety which is rooted in trust as our non-negotiable.”