SARIA Global Newsletter November 2022

Van Hessen is 120 years old! A true milestone! During a time that companies come and go and changes on the world stage follow one another in rapid succession, it is comforting to see that some things have a more permanent character. Van Hessen is here to stay!

Click here for the timeline as pdf.

Van Hessen uses an extensive selection process to deliver natural casings of consistently high quality. What was it like then and what is it like now?

THEN Selection of natural casings was a different game in the past. Production methods, working conditions, and production output all vastly differed from today. Just 20 years ago, only 5 to 10 calibers were produced, and all were neatly bundled according to the 16-2 specification. Calibers refer to standardized casing diameters, while the 16-2 specification required a hank to comprise no more than 16 pieces that could each be no shorter than 2 meters. All products left the factory in dry salt rather than brine, which came later. And when brine was finally used, the workers had to make it themselves. Working conditions were also far from ideal. There was no air conditioning in the summer. What is worse, workers had to use cold water to rinse casings during winter in a factory without heating. There were few safety standards at the time and workers did not have to wear the special clothing required today.

NOW Today, people wear special white outfits and they no longer work with their hands in ice cold water. Regardless of whether the plant in China orders a truck with boiling water or transports steam from the factory across the street to its facility, numb hands belong to the past. Besides better working conditions, the big difference is that the simplicity of the past has made way for complexity. Even though people work everywhere according to the same standards (a clear improvement), the range of calibers has expanded. We now select for twice as many calibers as before. The 16-2 standard for bundles has been replaced by an assortment of specifications and packaging: nets, tubes, and plastic bags. We now have a line-up of 60 different products. At the same time, our flexibility has increased. Orders constantly change and customers often ask for adjustments. This agility is required, as Van Hessen becomes an increasingly global company.

This endorses the company’s commitment and responsibility to strengthen and consolidate its ethical corporate governance based on the strictest legal and regulatory standards.

Bioiberica, a global Life Science company committed to improving the health and well-being of people, animals and plants, has announced the certification of its Criminal Compliance Management System following an audit carried out by Bureau Veritas. Bioiberica obtained this certification in March 2022 after a huge amount of work led by its compliance team.

Criminal compliance consists of processes, controls and tools that ensure greater control and surveillance in preventing criminal risk within an organisation, thereby avoiding potential sanctions and/or convictions. That’s why Bureau Veritas is committed to using this standard since it enables Criminal Compliance Management Systems to be implemented that not only respect Spanish legal requirements but are also aimed at meeting the expectations placed on organisations operating in international markets, as is the case of Bioiberica, present in over 80 countries.

The audit was carried out by Bureau Veritas, becoming the first organisation to be accredited by Spain’s National Accreditation Body (ENAC) for UNE 19601 certification of Criminal Compliance Management Systems. The audit process verifies whether the standardised management model has been correctly implemented and developing a customised management system for Bioiberica that meets the standard’s requirements has been a challenge for the Bureau Veritas. Nevertheless, Bioiberica’s willingness and commitment have increased awareness of the importance of such systems regarding the responsibility of organisations. The company operates within an extremely regulated sector and has always complied with the legal requirements of public authorities, which has helped to assess the criminal risks related to its activity and to further strengthen the controls already in place.

Bioiberica has been committed to certifying its systems and processes with Bureau Veritas for more than 7 years. It already has a Management System in accordance with ISO 9000 and ISO14001 certification, as well as certification for its CSR Management based on the SDGs, EMAS III environmental certification, 45001 for Occupational Health & Safety and 50001 for Energy Efficiency, among others.

According to Jordi Vidal, CFO and Compliance Officer of Bioiberica, “this certification recognises the hard work carried out by the entire compliance team, which in turn has required the involvement and dedication of the whole company. Our main aim has been to develop and foster a culture of compliance, in line with the strictest ethical and regulatory standards that govern our business. We’re proud of this recognition, which undoubtedly encourages us to continue working and striving to improve and expand our Compliance Management System”.

For Teresa Rodon, Commercial Director and CSR and Environment Manager at Bureau Veritas Spain and Portugal, “the certification of our Criminal Compliance Management System demonstrates Bioiberica’s commitment to complying with applicable legislation, industry codes, internal standards and rules of good corporate governance, as well as consolidating the ethical and performance culture throughout the organisation, enhancing the company’s positioning as a successful, sustainable organisation”.