The process of being SALSA approved and the implementation of the Scottish Seafood Association Technical Standard was made to be as straight forward as possible for us thanks to the help of the SSA. Jean and Michael have been great throughout the whole process. From offering us guidance and dealing with any queries that we had very quickly. It was very reassuring to know that Jean was always there to answer any questions that we had and to deal with any issues that came up.

Thank you again for all of your help.

Thank you for all your help Jean its much appreciated.

With the help of the SSA the process of being SALSA approved was as straight forward as it possibly could have been. Jean and Michael were more than helpful with any questions or queries that we had and everything ran smoothly due to the help and input they both had throughout the implementation of the standard. It was a comfort to know that there were help at hand in regards to any problems that might have arisen.

Although we had an existing Quality Management System (QMS)and HACCP, it was out of date and we were not using it to the full potential.

The process towards gaining the SSA Standard, started with Michael, whom we as a business had known for many years, when we discovered there would be someone else implementing the standard and supporting us, there was of course some concerns about the change in personnel.

However, we need not have worried, Jean is approachable, helpful and knowledgeable. A big help for us was that, we were able to have inspections and meetings to work around our busy work schedule.

The process did require effort and work on our part to implement the standard and documentation throughout the process, however with the SSA support provided this was done smoothly. They were even able to merge some of our existing documents into the documentation making it work better for us.

Going for and achieving the SALSA accreditation has been the icing on the cake for us, however the whole process has given my team more confidence in the abilities and knowledge they had already, whilst allowing them to build on them, which I feel is definitely a good thing for our business.

…….. Its already paying off being part of your organisation just in the assistance you are giving us as a business so we are very happy

Here at Bannerman Seafoods we are at an exciting point in our company development, we are working towards our SALSA accreditation.

As part of this we are training our staff and it is important to us that a member of staff has a REHIS Intermediate Food Hygiene Qualification. We were able to take advantage of the 50% funding from Seafish/Seafood Scotland to help us achieve this.

This was all completed during the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The course was available online and allowed Simon to complete the course at his own pace with the comfort of knowing there was a mentor (Jean Meikle SSA) available via phone or online platform to help and support if required. The exam was also completed via an online platform.

This qualification is key to the progression of our Company in the journey towards accreditation.

Many Thanks

During the the Covid-19 outbreak and forced lockdown, our company like many others in the industry suffered some difficult times. Alterations were made to both the management of the company and to staffing levels.

SSA helped & supported our business guiding us through completing various tasks in preparation for the upcoming SALSA audit

Due to restrictions we were unable to get visits on site, we were able to do regular zoom meetings and have the work checked via email.

This commitment and dedication to their members is invaluable as companies strive to get back to “normality” Thanks to the SSA our staff have been able to receive online training and mentoring, our Quality System has greatly improved and none of this could have been possible without their help.