Welcome to our latest update.
We’re excited to show you some of the mahi of our clients we’ve been working with. To celebrate their milestones and help share their stories as now, more than ever it’s important to support those in the food industry who are bringing exceptional products to the market and to support locally produced goods.
We go on a journey with our clients and are proud to have worked with them to help achieve their goals and deliver exceptional, high-quality products.
In Latin, Produco means “to sustain and move forward”. For us, that means ensuring our clients carry on with what they are currently doing, while building and progressing towards new goals and standards of excellence. Here are some of the achievements our clients have made through partnering with us:
Produco is a Latin term meaning “to sustain and move forward”.
Maui Sheep Dairy
Produco has been working with Maui Sheep Milk for over 18 months now and are really enjoying being part of Maui’s journey. This coming season we have 4 new suppliers signed up who are currently in the thick of lambing, lamb rearing and getting sheep comfortable with being milked.
Our main role has been to provide knowledge and expertise on the Raw Milk Quality, System and Process development, implementation of the Risk Management Programme (RMP) and Maui Supplier Requirements. We have liaised extensively with 3rd party drying partner Food Innovation Waikato (FIW) to ensure they are turning this high quality raw sheep milk into an end product that is within specification and of which our customers will be highly satisfied with.
Currently, it’s a small but growing team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable people coming together and building on previous season’s knowledge. The ovine milk business in NZ is far from the maturity of our bovine producing cousins, but as the new kids on the block, we are punching above our weight in the dairy industry. The subtle differences that the Maui product has compared to the well-known cow variety can be challenging. That said, over a very short time we have worked with our 3rd party manufacturer and one of our multinational customers to produce a consistently high-quality product that everyone is extremely proud of. The future is bright in this space.
HandeePax, Melbourne - 'Eezy-Squeezy'
HandeePax is an innovative packaging and blending company that sets itself apart from its competitors with easy to open, minimal waste, single-serve packets.
HandeePax wanted to grow its existing product and customer base. To do this they engaged Produco to consolidate their Quality Systems and upgrade them to a Global Food Safety Index (GFSI) accreditation. This makes food businesses more desirable to larger retailers and wholesalers. FSSC 22000 is the gold-standard system Produco and HandeePax decided to obtain, and with the help of SAI as the accreditor, this is exactly what has been achieved.
Produco while also filling the Quality Manager role on-site during this process, helped in the recruitment process of a new skilled person to undertake the role long term.
There are a number of ways Produco can help you on your quality journey.
Rise Taupo - Onetai Mānuka honey & milk spread
Produco is proud to help small start-up businesses succeed. This year we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the Rise Taupo team to bring their range of Onetai branded Manuka & Milk natural flavoured spreads to New Zealand and overseas export markets.
The Produco team supported this venture by creating the Risk Management Programme and led the Operations team through the regulatory requirements including the MPI approval process which encompassed validation, verification and evaluation as well as managing the approval process to become a registered exporter.
Using supreme quality, local ingredients of Mānuka Honey and Milk they created a delicious dolce blend that can be spread, dipped or mixed with milk to make a delicious drink. Thanks to her experience in sensory analysis, Liz was lucky enough to be a product sampler for the chocolate, orange and original flavours throughout product development. We’re all looking forward to this being available in our shops soon!
Medical Kiwi - Medicinal Cannabis
Operating in the Medical Cannabis industry lends itself to a number of Produco’s skills:
- Legislative interpretation (we determine what the Regulations mean)
- Manage and liaise between Government <–> Regulatory Bodies <-> Client
- Managing registration and application processes for Licencing
Even though the industry is in its infancy in New Zealand, there will potentially be many players entering this emerging space over the next few years. We’ve been working alongside one such client, Medical Kiwi prior to the promulgation of the Misuse of Drugs (Medical Cannabis) Regulations 2019 and once available, ensured that Medical Kiwi’s application for a license and activities was one of the first received by the Ministry of Health.
New legislation always brings about challenges as sometimes the intent is ‘lost’ or ‘confused’ once written and communicated. By building relationships with the licensing department and having regular communication with them, we can bridge the gap by translating legislative requirements and deliver a smooth application process for our clients.
Medical Kiwi is running a PledgeMe campaign to give people the opportunity to invest early and become shareholders. The funds will go towards further Research and Development, completing their first facility and purchasing the oil extraction equipment. Medical Kiwi are striving to become suppliers of the highest-grade Medical Cannabis because they know the positive impact it has on people suffering from illness and chronic pain.
The campaign is underway as of 17th August and early stages are well supported. You can register your interest and purchase here: www.pldg.me/medicalkiwi
Melanco Consulting
Produco have been working with Melanie Cosford at Melanco Consulting for about 18 months now.
As a business, Produco has grown fast and we needed someone to come in and help us implement and document our internal processes and make sure we were doing things as efficiently as possible. As a testament to Mel, she is still with us and doing a great job at managing projects for us when we need some extra hands.
Mel has her own consultancy and helps business owners be more visible online by taking advantage of the latest tools and technology available in the digital world.
Mel can partner with you, no matter what stage your business is currently at. If you need help with a website, system or procedure or you need to implement new online tools or applications, then Mel will help steer you in the right direction.
We recommend Melanco Consulting to any solopreneur or small-medium business like ours. Mel will make an immediate impact!
To get in touch with Mel, you can visit www.melanco.co.nz or email direct at [email protected].
Special Officer: Any new services or website design you book in August and September, will get you 10% off when you mention ‘PRODUCO’
Upcoming Events & Workshops
1. 17th September = Networking Event!
We’re excited to announce that we’re hosting our 2nd Networking event for the year on Thursday 17th September.
Our main theme for this event will be Operator Verification. We’ll be hosting special guests from AsureQuality who will be sharing their insights on this vital skill and they’ve also kindly sponsored morning tea.
If Covid-19 levels allow, this will be held face to face in Hamilton at our usual venue, Waikato Innovation Park. Should we need to hold this virtually by Zoom, we will be in contact.
Click here to book your place.
2. Training course: Leading Culture in QMS - 'Release not Police'
Produco is very excited to share that later this year we will be facilitating a course unlike any other. It will be specifically designed for Quality Managers, Technical Manager and aspiring Quality Managers based in New Zealand.
Confirmed Dates: Wednesday 21st & Thursday 22nd October 2020
Why is this course different? The main focus is around culture, and the course will be run as a face to face deep dive exercise at our home-base hub in Hamilton.
Produco principle Colin Oliver will share with you invaluable skills he has learned over his >20 years of working in Quality Management in New Zealand. There will also be discussions around Influencing Positively and Crisis Management.
We will be joined by Everest People, to take you through the DISC programme – an incredibly powerful tool to help you learn about what makes you tick and how to best interact with your direct reports and peers in the workplace.
Further information will be released shortly. In the meantime, if you would like to put your name down for this course, please email Melanie Cosford at [email protected]
Online Quiz Virtual Event
If you follow us on LinkedIn, you will probably have seen our free online quiz events that we ran recently. We set up a series of 3 weekly events that people could sign up to and complete in their own time between Friday 9am – Monday 5pm. We had a great turnout of enthusiastic people, keen to test and broaden their knowledge.
Congratulations again to our winners:
Week 1: Rinesh Chand, NZ Quality Waters – Allergens
Week 2: Marsha Sinclair, Fonterra – Pathogens
Week 3: Paul Yeatman, Yeatman – Crisis Management
Our three winners will each receive a $50 voucher, with our thanks. To keep up to date with topical, interesting food safety information, follow our LinkedIn page here.
