“Certified Free From”
Allergens: MenuTrinfoⓇ Is an Accredited Certifying Body for CPG
After 18 months of effort, MenuTrinfo is the first and only accreditation of its kind. Achieving ISO 17065 standards as free from allergens in food today.
MenuTrinfo’s Certified Free From program has been recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB) . Meeting the rigorous International Standards Organization (ISO) 17065 standards for certifying bodies. They are the first certification of their kind to reach this level of accreditation.
Certified Free From™ (or CFF™) was initially developed in 2017 to bring standardization to the world of allergen-free dining. It started in university dining halls, then progressed to kitchens, summer camps, food manufacturing facilities, and pharmaceuticals.
“Word quickly spread about the certification and what it meant for the food allergy community, and we are happy to keep expanding our reach,” states Claire Peacock, VP of Product Fulfillment at MenuTrinfo.
She goes on to say that the accreditation efforts came about, “during the start of the pandemic when our normal day-to-day operations changed so greatly. We decided to invest our company’s time, talent, and resources into making our Certified Free From™ program the best it could possibly be. We knew it would be no small undertaking but believed in our mission and what accreditation would do to further strengthen our CFF™ seal.
Alongside our company’s leadership, we spent months dialing in our processes and making sure we had the most robust program out there to present to ANSI-ANAB. We knew this is what we needed to take CFF to the next level, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this accomplishment with our clients and the consumers who depend on safe food for themselves or a loved one with a food allergy.”
Special Shout out to Laurel
The accreditation process came with its fair share of opportunities for growth. As Laurel Whisker, Vice President of Product Development and Accreditation at MenuTrinfoⓇ, herself puts it, “The biggest challenge was learning about the specific requirements for ISO 17065 accreditation.
There was a learning curve but working on it with a team really helped. We were able to brainstorm ideas that would make the CFF program even better while meeting criteria for accreditation.”
MenuTrinfoⓇ’s customers are certainly aware of the importance of this accreditation. “We at Mulay’s Sausage are so excited and extremely proud to be associated with the life changing work of MenuTrinfoⓇ. We are grateful for the extraordinary lengths they went to, achieving accreditation by ANSI-ANAB. This gold standard allows those suffering with life threatening allergies a sense of confidence that they can eat basic foods without fear. The third party CFF™ program by MenuTrinfoⓇ has been reviewed and verified by ANSI, an organization with the strictest of standards, adding yet another layer of protection for today’s consumers.”
Loree Weisman, President, and CEO at Mulay’s Sausage
Certified Free From™ strengthens any soft claims a kitchen or manufacturer might make, and lets consumers know all allergen-free claims live up to a set of rigorous standards that include regular testing, annual audits, and ongoing ingredient reviews. Prior to the CFF certification, people with food allergies had no way to ensure that food was safe for them to eat. With Certified Free From™, they can dine in ease.
The food-allergic population now knows that someone has their back.
The ISO 17065 accreditation is ANSI-ANAB stating that they trust and back our processes, our audits, our procedures, and our seal. It was our way of securing our own third-party certification for ourselves, backed by the largest accreditation organization in the country.
MenuTrinfoⓇ will soon be added to this prestigious directory of companies who have met these same standards: Link is HERE.
