Tasty Smart maker pursuing international certification to export its products
Betting on the quality of its gluten-free and vegan cookie products, the manufacturer of Tasty Smart cookies, Gfree Foods, has passed the first phase toward obtaining the FSSC22000 Food Safety Certification, so that it can begin exporting, company officials announced.
The FSSC 22000 Food Safety Certification System is a globally recognized program by the Global Food Safety Initiative, and is a management system developed to ensure quality and safety across the food industry supply chain.
In a year since its founding, Gfree Foods has grown substantially, positioning its product on supermarket shelves throughout the island. It has also achieved quality and excellence in its manufacturing processes, said Ailed González-Quintana, co-founder of Gfree Foods.
“From the start, we’ve been committed to being agents of change in this industry, and today we show that there are no limits,” she said. “We’re proud to have obtained this certification, since it positions us at another level in the food manufacturing industry in Puerto Rico and the world.”
Jonelie M. Veléz, co-founder of Gfree Foods, said, “We see this as a sprinboard toward new opportunities in a competitive business world, since positioning ourselves as a quality company is essential in this industry.”
They said that with this certification its Tasty Smart line, as well as any product manufactured in its facilities, has the “key to any market and to multinationals such as Sam’s Club with all its categories and varieties. Any food produced or made by Gfree Foods will enjoy the quality and food safety standards they possess, as well as certification,” they said.
“From day one we saw the potential that the company had and we made the decision to support them in their growth in the manufacturing industry in Puerto Rico,” said Alex Borschow, managing partner of investment fund Semillero Ventures.
“Jonelie and Ailed are examples of tenacity and determination, we’re very proud to be part of this achievement,” he said.
