Quality products
We deliver high-quality products to our customers based on global standards and procedures which are continuously reviewed and updated.
For Novozymes, a product’s quality is related to all aspects of the customer’s expectations. This means that product quality entails:
- Value-adding performance in the customer’s process
- Application safety, including toxicity, impurities, and risk of exposure
- Compliance with product registrations and customer approvals
- Stability
- Appearance
- Environmental friendliness of both product and production process
Novozymes strives to consistently deliver high quality, which is assured by our global standards and procedures. We work with global product specifications, which are managed and controlled by our Quality Management department. The product specifications present the batch acceptance criteria that are relevant for batch control, and parameters that are important for the specific industry.
Novozymes’ product specifications ensure that we live up to customers’ requirements and applicable legislation, which is why we continuously monitor these requirements and make sure that we update the specifications accordingly.
Stable products
To ensure stability, we test our products during development and as part of the ongoing product surveillance.
At Novozymes, we make sure that we formulate products to give optimal stability during storage and transportation. This stability is tested both during the development phase and as part of our ongoing product surveillance.
In most cases the stability information stipulates a minimum shelf life after delivery to the customer. This means that our customers can rely on a guaranteed enzyme activity and application efficacy for a certain period of time after Novozymes has delivered the product.
Shelf-life information is provided in the relevant Product Data Sheet as best-before information. See an example of a PDF.
Safe products
Novozymes’ extensive experience of producing enzymes has given us a high level of expertise in handling them, and it is our responsibility to share this with our customers.
Delivering safe products to our customers is highly important. At Novozymes we have a long tradition of working actively with health and safety issues. Over decades of producing enzymes we have acquired great expertise in the safe handling of enzymes, and we feel very strongly about our responsibility to share this expertise with our customers.
Before any new product or application is promoted, Novozymes performs an assessment of handling safety. Once handling safety has been confirmed, all products are issued with safety and warning labels and a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
If you are a customer, you can download MSDS and brochures on safe handling of enzymes from the library in our Customer Center.
Continuous surveillance and improvement
Continuous surveillance and improvement are integrated components of Novozymes’ management system and represent the cornerstone of how we advance our services to customers.
To the benefit of our customers, our performance is always monitored and reviewed in order to identify how and where improvements to our business can be made. As part of this, Novozymes’ organizational culture is built on empowerment of employees.
The globally shared management system is constantly reviewed to ensure that it is up to date and aligned with requirements from authorities and customers. Our internal audit activities cover all parts of the organization to make sure that processes and procedures are up to standard.
In order to grow and get better at what we do, we carry out customer surveys on a continuous basis, and we value and actively use the feedback that we receive. In addition, we offer a 24/7 option to file a complaint in our Customer Center if, for instance, a customer has received a product or service that does not live up to expectations.
Food Safety
As part of our ambition to meet or exceed our customers’ expectations, we work with a global food safety program based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Principles and global Good Manufacturing Practice.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Principles (HACCP)
Novozymes’ production processes have been thoroughly assessed with regard to potential contamination risks, and steps have been taken to avoid these risks.
To identify risks associated with physical, chemical, and microbial contamination of products, Novozymes has mapped the production flow from raw materials to finished goods. A number of critical control points have been identified, and procedures have been established for monitoring CCPs and the actions taken when CCPs exceed the defined limits. The HACCP plan is reviewed annually, and the conclusion and major findings are presented to senior management.
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
Novozymes' global GMPs are based on international legislation and cover all plants that produce food and feed enzymes.
Our global GMPs are based on international legislation and cover all plants that produce food and feed enzymes, including every step of the process from raw materials to finished goods and further on down the supply chain. The GMPs are mainly based on relevant legislation in the EU, U.S., Brazil, China, and Japan, also taking into account international standards such as Codex Alimentarius and the FAMI-QS standard for feed production, as well as specific customer requirements.
The GMPs are updated by our cross-functional GMP/HACCP group, which is headed by the quality management department. In addition, all sites are regularly audited by our GMP audit team to ensure that production is in accordance with the GMP practices, which is how we ensure the same high degree of food safety at all sites.
Hygiene
Novozymes adheres to a set of rules and requirements for personal and site hygiene, including cleaning-in-place (CIP).
Personal hygiene is a very important factor when working with food/feed products. Novozymes has therefore set out requirements for clothes, footwear, jewelry, health status, and behavior. All production personnel are given training on these requirements.
We use CIP systems to clean equipment, and the efficiency of this cleaning is regularly monitored and reviewed. The entire production facility is cleaned according to a master cleaning schedule and after cleaning, the equipment is visually checked. All components of manufacturing hygiene are audited as a part of GMP audits.
Traceability
At Novozymes, all products and raw materials receive a unique batch code to ensure full traceability from both ends of the supply chain.
All products and raw materials receive a unique batch code to ensure full traceability from raw material to end user. This means that our raw materials and all in-process products can be identified and located at all stages of their lifetime. For this we have implemented an IT system to ensure fast, precise, and efficient traceability throughout the supply chain on a worldwide basis. In order to ensure that we are prepared for critical situations and able to withdraw or recall products, traceability is audited on a regular basis.
Raw materials and suppliers
All suppliers and raw materials are carefully assessed and inspected to make sure that they live up to our standards for good business and quality.
When we select suppliers, we carefully assess them and carry out continuous evaluation of their performance. One way this is done is through inspection of all incoming raw materials according to specifications, supplier statements, and certificates. We ensure that raw materials are suitable for food processing, and we follow up on our suppliers’ performance in respect of applicable legislation.
To ensure that our requirements are met, we also audit our suppliers. These audits cover quality as well as social and environmental performance. If a supplier fails to meet our expectations, we stipulate the improvements necessary to continue our relationship with the supplier. If the supplier fails to make these improvements, we decline to collaborate further.
Safe product development and application
Novozymes' ambition is to remain a leader in bioinnovation and provide our customers with safe solutions, so development and optimization are therefore covered by our management system.
Before promoting any products and applications, they are assessed to ensure that they satisfy safety regulations. We also make sure that we provide extensive toxicology documentation as part of the product registration. To minimize risks and keep our customers safe, all safety information (including MSDSs) is readily available to customers.
Global production recipes ensure that toxicology study results stay relevant for all products irrespective of the production plant. Process improvements are evaluated with regard to the continued validity of the toxicological testing, and toxicology studies are carried out in accordance with our position on animal testing.
Environment & people
In our daily business at Novozymes we strive to decrease our environmental footprint while also focusing on keeping the working environment, including the professional development and well-being of our employees, up to high standards.
Maintaining a safe workplace
At Novozymes we strive to maintain a healthy and safe workplace and to make continuous improvements.
Occupational health and safety is a key priority at Novozymes and an integrated part of our management system. We have established a global occupational health and safety organization. We set ambitious goals for work-related accidents and follow up and report internally and externally on the results. We conduct annual risk assessment in all departments and engage the employees to address the risks and hazards that may lead to diseases or accidents in our daily operations – all to ensure a healthy and safe workplace.
Promoting a healthy workplace
Novozymes wants to enable all employees to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health.
Novozymes aims to promote health among our employees. Health promotion focuses on lifestyle habits, health attitudes, and wellness. First and foremost, Novozymes wants to enable employees to increase control over their own health and its determinants. However, although Novozymes supports and encourages employees in choosing a healthy lifestyle, it is ultimately the responsibility of each employee to decide on his or her own health.
Health promotion is seen as beneficial for each employee and also for Novozymes’ productivity, branding, etc. Health promotion is also supported by the idea of sustainability, and may be a benefit for society.
Health promotion is exercised at an organizational level as well at am individual level. Novozymes' regions are obliged to support health promotion activities according to local needs and opportunities. Finally, the employees should be involved in shaping the program.
Catalyzing energy savings
At Novozymes we have set ambitious goals for decoupling our growth from energy consumption, for using renewable energy sources, and for succesfully implementing our climate strategy.
For Novozymes’ production facilities globally we have defined energy-reducing projects and initiated usage of low-carbon energy sources such as wind turbines and bioenergy, replacing energy from conventional sources.
Projects in 2009 reduced the CO2 emissions from Novozymes by 17,000 tons, which is equivalent to more than 7,000 cars in the EU.
Supporting social responsibility
At Novozymes we continuously work to improve our social performance by setting and maintaining high standards through the integration of human rights, and health and safety considerations into our daily business.
At Novozymes we adhere to and build on the standards set for basic human rights and core labor, which we aim to continue to advance. Our dedication to contributing to society has led us to join the United Nations Global Compact, and we proudly support the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
In our collaboration with stakeholders, we also encourage socially responsible behavior that not only contributes to a better workplace but also leaves its mark on society.
Novozymes has been reporting on sustainability for more than 10 years and has been a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2001.
Training and people development
Ensuring that our employees continue to develop their competencies on a personal and professional level is a key driver for our business.
At Novozymes we focus on four main action areas which are of vital importance for keeping employees at the peak of their game:
- Individual Development Plans (IDPs). A structured approach to IDPs means that every employee has an annual competency development interview with his or her immediate manager to identify competency gaps. A plan is then drawn up and continuously reviewed in order to fill these gaps.
- Using our annual climate survey we evaluate the success of the continued development and present the results in The Novozymes Report.
- Measuring the training investment per employee which is reported in The Novozymes Report.
- Making sure that leaders continuously focus on developing their employees. In order to do this we have defined a set of leadership competencies that our leaders are required to live up to. These also include the managers' responsibility to develop their employees' competencies.
Decreasing our environmental footprint
With the goal of being a leader in sustainability Novozymes adheres to corporate environmental standards.
Novozymes wants to be a recognized leader in sustainability. In addition to our ISO 14001 certification, we have developed a corporate environmental standard with which all production facilities must comply.
Novozymes' environmental management system is an integrated part of our management system across departments and beyond the geographical borders of the organization.
To reduce the impact of our production on the environment, we have set ambitious goals to decrease our environmental footprint. Our goals include making significant improvements to our energy, water, and CO2 efficiency.
Additionally, we also aim to continuously increase recycling, and to stay generally up to date with new ways of being more environmentally friendly in the workplace.
Each quarter we systematically follow up on our environmental performance, and we report progress on environmental targets externally as part of our quarterly statements.
Certifications
Novozymes has numerous global certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, and other site-specific certifications.
Novozymes obtained our first ISO 9000 certification in 1996. Today our company is certified according to ISO 9001:2015 covering Enzymes producing sites in Novozymes.
Novozymes Denmark obtained the ISO 22000 & FSSC 22000 in June 2010. In May 2013 Novozymes North America and in June 2014 Novozymes TEDA; China were both ISO 22000 & FSSC 22000 certified also.
The Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) was just recently approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Novozymes has already obtained this certification, which is now an integrated part of Novozymes' management system.
- FSSC 22000 V4.1 (Jan. 2018) (Bagsværd, Kalundborg & Copenhagen; Denmark)
- FSSC 22000:2013 (North America; Franklinton; US)
- ISO22000:2005 (TEDA; Tianjin, China)
- FSSC22000:2011 (TEDA; Tianjin, China)
- ISO22000:2005 (Hongda; China)
- FSSC22000:2011 (Hongda; China)
- FSSC22000:2013 (India; Hoody Circle)
Since 2005 all Novozymes' production sites have been certified according to FAMI-QS which covers enzymes for the feed industry.
FAMI-QS is the short name for "Code of Practice for Feed Additive and Pre-mixture Operators", as defined in the European Feed Hygiene Regulation (Reg/183/2005), describing the codes of practice in the European animal feed additive industry.
Novozymes main production sites have certified environmental management systems according to ISO 14001.
As a signatory to the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development, Novozymes is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its production.
Since 2001, all of Novozymes’ significant production and research facilities have certified environmental management systems, according to ISO14001. Together, these 17 sites are responsible for at least 97% of our total resource consumption.
Sites where the environmental impacts are deemed negligible, such as sales offices, R&D labs and sites with limited blending and storage of products do not have ISO14001 certified environmental management systems. Novozymes has clear processes to ensure that sites receive certification, as soon as they cross a minimum threshold of environmental impact.
- Kosher and halal
For all relevant markets and applications we have products complying with kosher and halal requirements. Compliance with these requirements is certified by internationally recognized certification bodies.
- Energy certification: DS/ISO 50001
Novozymes in Denmark was the first company to obtain ISO 50001 (the former the DS 2403) vertificate for our energy management system.
The certificate, which covers production of enzymes and biopolymers in Denmark, attests that we constantly focus on reducing energy consumption.