Bureau Veritas, one of the global leaders in testing, inspection and certification, has been brokering trusts between companies, governments and and society at large for nearly 200 years.
The company hosted an open day where various stakeholders were able to tour the state-of-the-art facility in Ormonde, Johannesburg. The open day aligns with the recent launch of the organisation’s global LEAP| 28 strategy, an ambitious customer – centric strategy to become customer’s preferred partner for excellence and sustainability, offering superior service quality and differentiated solutions.
With a strong legacy built up over almost two centuries, Bureau Veritas operates across six global businesses: Marine & Offshore, Agri Food & Commodities, Consumer Products, Building & Infrastructure, Certification & Industry.
Local laboratories offering global solutions
Bureau Veritas Southern Africa is home to its state-of-the art AgriFood laboratories based in Ormonde, Johannesburg and Brackenfell Cape Town, two best -in-class facilities offering a wide range of services. The Ormonde facility was founded in 1974 and offers renowned product testing, inspection, certification and audit services across various industries including Pharmaceutical and Veterinary; Microbiology and Agriculture/Soil/Pesticides and Water Analysis (Environmental). As part of a global footprint of laboratories with subject matter experts in chemistry and microbiology, the laboratory is closely aligned to international testing practices and full accreditation in accordance with ISO 17025:2027 standards and is recognised by the World Health Organisation.
The laboratory continues to evolve and develop with recent activities including the streamlining and refining of processes to ensure smooth and efficient timeous turnaround times driven by robust and effective working methodologies. Quality assurance remains a priority and is rigorously monitored to ensure alignment to global standards.
Stringent global standards drive differentiated services
Bureau Veritas supports local protocols and strict international guidelines provide an advantage for the Bureau Veritas laboratories provide a broad, complimentary range of AgriFood testing services from Farm to Fork, to ensure peace of mind for customers. Supported by subject matter experts with a wide range of qualifications from across the global, the resources provide vast experience and diverse skills. With an enviable reputation as a leading supplier of choice and a responsible player in the marketplace, Bureau Veritas offers the same services at its sister laboratory in Brackenfell, Cape Town. The latest laboratory testing services announced by Bureau Veritas M&L laboratories are performed in both Ormonde, Johannesburg and Brackenfell Cape Town laboratories, always delivering the highest levels of service to its customers. Providing global competence from production to finished product, these services include product testing in the laboratories, inspection, certification and audits.
The laboratories cover four primary areas of expertise:
Pharmaceutical & Veterinary testing
This vast area of product testing includes various categories – Post Importation testing, Stability storage and testing, Batch and raw material release testing, Dissolution profiles and Analytical method transfer.
Microbiology & product testing
Product testing spans a wide range of assessments, including Food spoilage and Quality surveillance testing, high tech automated and conventional), Food safety inspection and testing, Pathogen testing, Shelf-life storage and testing, Pharmacopeial Microbiology testing (Pharmaceutical), Preservative challenges and efficacy testing and Disinfectants and sanitisers efficacy testing.
Agri-Food & Commodities for Inspection and lab testing services
Bureau Veritas laboratories are highly specialised in the Inspection and laboratory testing of food products, boasting an exhaustive list of products that can be analysed and evaluated. A few examples of inspections services include Bulk inspections for Port to Port and Bulk, and container imports and exports inspections.
Water analysis (environmental)
Water analysis for drinking and borehole water testing has become increasingly important and a mainstay, essential service. Bureau Veritas offers SANS241 potable water testing, as well as Environmental contaminated water analysis and soil testing, mining, effluents, agricultural, domestic, river and dam water testing.
Commenting on the laboratory, managing director, Joanne Barton said: “We are particularly proud of our laboratories and the differentiated solutions they provide. It is extremely rewarding to play a small role in life changing moments, for example – the public obtaining their medications on time or food that is of the correct quality and safe to consume.
Embracing constant change
In conclusion, Hefer commented: “As business and laboratories evolve, we find ourselves in an exciting time of new technology and services, where constant becomes business as usual. We embrace this way of working, ensuring we can meet customer demands in an ever-increasing world of unpredictable change. That is the norm in the ever-expanding industry of testing, inspection and certification. At Bureau Veritas we remain committed to Safety which is rooted in trust as our non-negotiable.”
