3. PPECB Annual Report 2009-2010

value added servicesPPECB’s Value Added Services division experienced somesignificant staff movements during the year in review. Thesestaff movements were largely confined to managerial positionsleaving core service delivery capability intact and continuityunaffected. Notwithstanding these changes, the division alsomanaged to maintain a clear focus on its strategic directionas contained in the 5 year corporate strategic plan.The year in review again saw the organisation’s accreditationsbeen subjected to scrutiny by the South African NationalAccreditation System (SANAS). In this regard managementcan very proudly boast that all accreditations includingISO 17021, ISO guide 65 and ISO 17025 were reconfirmedwhich supports our efforts in expanding our service offeringsunder these accreditations.Pursuant to its goal of acquiring the coveted ISO 17020accreditation for competent inspection bodies, PPECBrecommissioned a project in this regard and together withits sister Harmonization Programme, which measuresconsistent interpretation and application of product qualitystandards, have made huge inroads as to the inspectorate’sstate of readiness and eventual accreditation.PPECB’s Mycotoxin Analytical Laboratory, situated in Pretoria,posted good financial results on the back of a very goodgroundnut export season. Holding the industry benchmarkfor turnaround times and volume capacity for mycotoxinanalysis, the lab continues to be one of the biggest mycotoxinlaboratories in the world, with service excellence second tonone. The laboratory is poised to expand its service offeringsto include additional analysis using existing GC and HPLCtechniques mainly due a significant increase in demand forthese services by our current client base.Our Cold Chain Research and Development Unit took theopportunity to review its strategy going forward. A completelyrevamped R&D strategy has been approved and some of theplans have already been actioned in the period under review.The importance of continued Cold Chain research anddevelopment has been reconfirmed by PPECB’s Board of Directorsrepresenting industries and understood by importantstakeholders, such as Government, thereby laying the foundationfor repositioning the unit’s output to further support the exportcompetitiveness of the industries that PPECB serves.Further momentum was gained in terms of PPECB’s effortsto contribute to the overall development of the horticulturalsector in South Africa during the reporting period. PPECBhas partnered with the National Agricultural MarketingCouncil and the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market inidentifying needs in the small scale farmer sector and todeliver skill transfer programmes and compliance trainingand awareness.PPECB Analytical LaboratoryThe laboratory has excelled in technically optimising itsaccuracy and efficiencies of existing and new analyticalmethods of mycotoxin analyses. The laboratory utilisessensitive, ISO 17025 accredited analytical systems for thetesting of mycotoxins. The efficiency of the methods employedenables the testing facility to expand to the point where it52PPECB | annual report | 2009 - 2010