Case Study: Minerva Foods

With a 30-year history of producing and selling fresh meat and its derivatives, Minerva Foods has established itself as a leader in beef exports in South America.

The company's history began in 1992, when the Vilela de Queiroz Family acquired "Frigorifico Minerva do Brasil S/A", making it its first industrial unit located in the city of Barretos/SP, which currently houses its headquarters. Over the years, the company expanded its operations and acquired other units, totaling eight units in Brazil today.

A major milestone in the trajectory of Minerva Foods was the IPO in 2017, when the company began to be listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange, further strengthening its position in the market. In 2018, operations were internationalized, with the inclusion of work in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

At the moment, the company has 32 industrial units, including three processing units, 25 cattle slaughtering and deboning plants, in addition to four industrial units focused on sheep. The company prides itself on offering healthy and nutritious products, which are distributed to customers worldwide through its 14 distribution centers and 12 international offices. All of this is possible thanks to more than 20,000 dedicated employees committed to excellence at each stage of the process.

When looking for a partnership to carry out third-party audits, Minerva Foods saw QIMA as the best option. The certifier's reputation in the beef segment and its proven expertise in conducting audits were decisive factors for this collaboration. Aware of the importance of ensuring food quality and safety in its production chain, Minerva Foods trusted the expertise of QIMA to provide impartial and comprehensive assessments.

The challenge

Minerva Foods was experiencing the challenge of having to deal with frequent audits and customer visits to evaluate the company's food safety and quality management system. The company was growing a lot and needed to have a certificate that attested, in a globally recognized way, to its commitment to the quality, legality, authenticity and safety of the products manufactured in the company's facilities.

Furthermore, the approval process for Minerva Foods as a supplier was time-consuming, requiring the submission of several documents to prove the company's commitment to food quality and safety.

The process

Minerva Foods chose to seek the services of QIMA due to its renowned performance in carrying out third-party audits, especially in the beef segment. The choice was based on the team of highly qualified professionals and the QIMA structure to provide certification services. The company believed that QIMA had the necessary expertise in the desired certification protocols. The protocol chosen was BRCGS Food, reflecting Minerva's commitment to the highest standards of food safety and quality. In addition to the BRCGS Food certification, the partnership with QIMA offered Minerva a full range of complementary solutions. This included meat typing aimed at the Chilean market, a crucial initiative to meet the specificities of this market and strengthen Minerva's presence in the region. Furthermore, the collaboration provided the Minerva team with specialized training, a valuable investment in developing essential skills and knowledge to maintain the safety and quality standards required by BRCGS Food.

Assessment and implementation

The certifications achieved by Minerva Foods over the years represent a significant milestone in the company's evolution in terms of food quality and safety. In the late 1990s, when the demand for certification emerged, the company was in the early stages of implementing the HACCP system, and the tools for a comprehensive food safety and quality management system were new and challenging for the management team and for employees.

The BRCGS audit carried out at that time by a certifier in England represented a substantial challenge, but it was also the catalyst for a mindset transformation. Initially seen as a requirement of European customers, food quality and safety certification has become not just an obligation, but a goal, always with exports in mind.

As Minerva Foods acquired new facilities, certification, which was previously a quest for compliance, began to be perceived as a collective mission. The company's team, in the current scenario, not only meets expectations, but exceeds goals, reflecting a proactive mentality and a solid commitment, with the entire team collaborating synergistically to achieve the best possible results.

Over the years, this certification journey, which has spanned more than two decades, has become an integral part of the company's culture. This chronology brings the team a sense of gratitude and the driving force necessary to continue growing. “We hope to maintain good results in unannounced audits. We know that we are capable of doing the right thing without anyone needing to charge or monitor”, says Karina Moreira Amadeu, Corporate Quality Assurance Specialist.

Results

The partnership with QIMA and obtaining certifications brought significant results for Minerva Foods, especially in terms of improving products and the entire production process.

During the first audits carried out by QIMA, Minerva Foods achieved success in achieving the desired certifications, demonstrating the effectiveness of the processes and the commitment of all teams involved. “This achievement represents an important milestone both for the plant teams and at the corporate level”, highlights Karina.

Working together with QIMA/WQS was essential for Minerva Foods to achieve these exceptional results. The audits were conducted in a rigorous and impartial manner, resulting in certifications being obtained with the best possible results. “Our success reflects our commitment to offering the highest quality products, in compliance with the required protocols and standards. The services performed by QIMA were crucial to this achievement!”, concludes Jessica.