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Liquorice production facility gains GMP+ certification
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by BGG World, Switzerland
GG World (BGG) recently announced that its manufacturing site, Xinjiang Jinshuo Plant Additive Co, Ltd. in Xinjiang, China, has become the first licorice production facility in the world to obtain GMP+ FSA certification based on GMP+ C6 of the GMP+ International Standard GMP+. GMP stands for “Good Manufacturing Practices” and the + stands for the integration of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), while FSA stands for Feed Safety Assurance. GMP+ FSA certified companies demonstrate that they meet all requirements and conditions for the assurance of feed safety. BGG’s Xinjiang plant is 100 percent dedicated to the manufacture of licorice extracts and licorice derivatives, including food, flavors and cosmetic ingredients, and with this new registration, also feed ingredients. “We are very proud to include this certification and to help advance our animal health business,” said Christian Artaria, CEO of BGG Europe. “The production of animal feed is a shared responsibility of the entire feed chain and, with this new certification, we are further outlining the responsible practices we commit to.” BGG has been extracting licorice roots since their founding in 1995. With 25 years of continuous experience, they have become well-known in the food, flavour and personal care field as one of the very few companies controlling the entire production chain and delivering unmatched quality in these products. Licorice is the common name attributed to certain species of the genus Glycyrrhiza that are known to produce the saponin glycyrrhizin, a natural sweetener responsible for the characteristic sweet taste of the roots. The genus Glycyrrhiza includes approximately 30 species, among which Glycyrrhiza glabra, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza inflata are the three most commonly used. At BGG, they wildcraft roots from pristine regions of the Middle East and Asia such as Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Roots are carefully harvested from three to four-year-old plants during winter months after the leaves have died. This sustainable method ensures that the plants will survive. After collection, the roots are botanically identified, cleaned and cautiously dried, after which they are shipped to a state-of-the-art processing
78 | August 2020 - Milling and Grain