At Pouliquen, we don’t take any chances with the quality of our products, service and interactions, and the same applies to our employees’ work-life quality. As Quality Manager at Pouliquen since 2016, Loïc Gautier runs a reliable and efficient quality management system, and ensures its implementation as inter-departmental coordinator. Learn more about the background and role of our very own “Mister Quality”!
Quality, Safety and Environment, Loïc’s career
After obtaining his Food Science and Technology diploma, Loïc went to work in 2011 as a quality and safety supervisor at Bond-Paviot (Groupe Even Restauration), a major player in the Breton agri-food industry. His role was to implement the food safety plan at the company’s 4 French sites. Once he had accomplished this task, Loïc decided to resign in order to continue his studies. He completed a professional degree in Food Safety in 2015, and went on to obtain another professional degree in Quality, Safety and Environmental Management in 2016. With this solid academic and professional background, he joined the Pouliquen Group in November 2016.
IFS Food 7: Food safety and customer satisfaction are Pouliquen’s priorities
The Pouliquen Group is IFS Food 7-certified and works exclusively with Prince de Bretagne growers, all of whom have Global G.A.P certification and meet the strict specifications set by Prince de Bretagne. In addition, for every purchase, Loïc verifies the authenticity of the products’ origin by obtaining the SICA and Maraîchers d’Armor co-operatives’ GlobalG.A.P certificate and membership number, as well as the crop information sheets for the lots purchased from their producers.
When the products are received, he supervises a quality check to ensure that shallot and onion bulbs are healthy and carry no mould, foreign objects or pests.
This step is followed by the analysis of a product sample by the independent Eurofins laboratory (Loire-Atlantique). This analysis ensures that the levels of phytosanitary product residue do not exceed the limits set by European regulations, and that the product adheres to current food-safety standards.
Once product compliance has been verified, our quality manager ensures internal product traceability by assigning a number to each lot so that it can be tracked until it is delivered to our clients in France or abroad.
Packaging, packing and transport
As well as product quality control, Loïc manages the quality of the wrapping and packing materials used by Pouliquen, including nets, labels, and cardboard or wooden boxes. Once again, he ensures that food-safety standards are respected by making sure to have our suppliers’ mandatory compliance declarations, analysis reports and any documents necessary for checking product quality and safety.
A final check is carried out on the finished products, and Loïc carries out a detailed check of the transport vehicle for cleanliness and odour. No goods can be loaded without a quality manager’s approval.
“I want the client to think about what they need to order, and once their order is made, not to have to think about it again.”
Every day, our teams work to establish the optimal conditions for guaranteeing the quality and traceability of the products that we bring to market. Our IFS Food 7 certification is proof positive of the care and attention to detail we bring to our work.
Staff and environmental safety
Loïc is responsible for not only product safety, but also that of the staff and the environment. In terms of staff safety, he evaluates professional risks and the dangers of each role, and proposes changes and improvements. He recently worked with an ergonomist on the MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) that can be caused by certain work stations, and on noise reduction for staff working in the packaging department.
“Pouliquen really cares about their employees’ well-being. This leads to employees wanting to do a good job, resulting in few mistakes in filling orders and a high level of customer satisfaction. We also have very few sick days, and a good workplace atmosphere.”
As for environmental safety, Loïc analyses the significant impacts of company activity such as noise pollution or organic waste disposal. For several years now, the Pouliquen Group has partnered with a local producer who takes all our organic waste (damaged or rotten bulbs and shallot and onion peels) and puts them to use in a methanisation unit. Loïc’s next environmental objective is to find a better way to manage cardboard packaging.
A few months ago, as part of its quality, safety and environment initiatives, Pouliquen began the process of obtaining a CSR certification. We will soon be sharing more news about this!