Bakery On Main Announces Two New Certifications
EAST HARTFORD, CONN. – Leading gluten free granola manufacturer Bakery On Main announced today that its East Hartford, Conn.-based plant recently received two new certifications – it is now certified for gluten free production by the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO) and certified Kosher Parve by the Orthodox Union (OU).
“We have always adhered to the strictest quality controls so I am honored that our company was recognized by such prestigious and respected organizations as the GFCO and the Orthodox Union,” said Bakery On Main Founder and President Michael Smulders.
Prior to gluten free certification, the company performed its own rigorous in-house testing on every single batch of each of its gluten free products. Now in addition to the in-house testing procedures already in place, the GFCO visits the Bakery On Main plant for periodic audits to be sure its products are gluten free.
According to the GFCO website, “GFCO provides consumers and manufacturers confidence in knowing that products labeled with the GFCO certification mark meet the strictest standards for gluten-free. These voluntary standards go beyond the requirements of government laws and regulations in order to ensure public confidence.” In fact, the GFCO standard for certification is less than 10ppm gluten, which is twice as strict as the World Health Organization Standard and the FDA proposed standard.
The Bakery On Main plant has been certified Kosher since 2007. At that time, the plant was producing biscotti which contained dairy ingredients requiring the company’s packaging to display the OU-D symbol. Biscotti production ended in early 2009 and by early 2010 the plant had transitioned to Kosher OU Parve.
Making the switch from Kosher OU-D to Kosher OU Parve meant much more than removing a letter from the packaging. “Pareve certification allows a company to reach a far broader kosher market, not to mention those that are sensitive to allergens,” said Rabbi David Bistricer, the company’s Rabbinic Coordinator.
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