At Astra Sweets, ‘every day is audit day’

Astra Sweets manufactures millions of candies annually. Their products, including the Frisia brand, reach markets worldwide. Johan Beysen, Group Quality Manager at Astra Sweets, emphasizes that food safety is an ethical value for the company as well as a compliance requirement: “We must always be ready to demonstrate the absolute safety of our products.” 

Unannounced audits 

Johan joined the company 11 years ago as a consultant and later became the QA Coordinator: his career journey reflects Astra Sweets’ evolving dedication to quality. His department, encompassing QA, QC, and a legal information team, diligently manages specifications from raw materials to final products and ensures compliance with GS1 and TraceOne systems. 

Johan and his colleagues embrace audits as a tool for continuous improvement rather than seeing them as a burden. One example of this is that beyond the mandatory three-year cycle, Astra Sweets voluntarily undergoes annual unannounced audits – a proactive approach, bolstered by an internal audit scheme and monthly quality team checks. Johan notes, “When an organization is prepared for unannounced audits every day, there is no pressure. Every day is audit day.”  

Trust, not fear 

Johan praises the auditors from Kiwa, for being rigorous, yet supportive. “The head office audit is always announced, allowing us to prepare in areas like R&D, purchasing, and HR. However, the production site audits are entirely unannounced. On a given day, a colleague at our reception desk will call me, and then it begins.” 

The audit process is swift: within 10 to 15 minutes, the auditor is on the production floor, starting with raw materials and following the product flow. “During audits, the auditors integrate quickly, minimize disruption, and ask open questions to our production staff,” Johan observes. “Their approach is collaborative, fostering trust rather than fear. An audit is always a training exercise for us.”  

An eye-opener 

It’s no surprise that audits often lead to new insights and process improvements, Johan continues. “Once, the Kiwa auditor suggested that we validate the entire corrective process instead of just checking end results. It was an eye-opener, prompting deeper systemic improvements.”  

Examples like this demonstrate how Vinçotte’s audits go beyond ticking boxes: they help companies strengthen their Quality Management Systems (QMS) and ensure improvements are robust and sustainable. 

Trigger campaigns 

Johan stresses that food safety hinges on the attitudes and behaviours of every one of the company’s more than 500 employees at  every level of the organization. “We reinforce this awareness through internal ‘trigger campaigns’. These are campaigns designed to ensure that everyone understands important topics, like Critical Control Points (CCPs) and food defence.”  

This focus on making food safety a part of the company culture is integral to the BRCGS Food Safety Global Standards and the International Featured Standards, or IFS – both of which are important tools for companies like Astra Sweets. “Having a strong food safety culture is the only way to maintain consistency even under pressure,” says Johan. “You don’t build a food safety culture for the auditor, it’s for the good of our consumers and for the future of our company.” 

Learn more about Kiwa’s IFS Food Certification Services and BRCGS Food Safety Certification Services 

Knowledge and communication  

The long-standing relationship Astra Sweets has with Vinçotte is built on trust, clear communication, and professionalism. The Belgian company’s auditors bring knowledge from various sectors, providing perspectives that internal audits cannot. “This expertise is crucial in a fast-changing regulatory environment,” notes Johan. He stresses the importance of communication: “It starts with how the office interacts with you. With Vinçotte, communication is excellent.”  

Business benefits 

Beyond compliance, certification offers tangible business benefits. Astra Sweets’ AA+ score in their latest audit boosted morale and reduced customer-specific audits. “Audits by Kiwa carry weight, both internally and externally,” says Johan. “They aid everything from securing board-level investments to safeguarding consumers.” He adds that this commitment to quality and safety is one of the keys to Astra Sweets current expansion with the Frisia brand into new markets like the US, Canada, China, South Korea, and Japan.