Quality is at the core of our profession
Our approach for quality in animal nutrition and plant production
UFAB’s strategy has always been an approach with the customer at its core, whilst considering the food quality and safety requirements as opportunities. Reinforced by our customers expectations, we made the commitment to ensure – due to the sanitary quality of our products- a real difference, whilst guaranteeing the effectiveness of our products and services, and therefore our clients’ satisfaction.
- RCNA certification: Reference for the Certification of Animal Nutrition based on food safety management, best practice, the production processes and client satisfaction.
- Organic certification
UFAB has made risk management its major priority. This is why our suppliers are subjected to a referencing audit. When we import merchandise, we instruct a surveillance company to take samples of the raw materials and to have them analysed in a certified laboratory.
The organic collections silo at Châteaubourg has been conceived specifically to guarantee hygiene and health. The site is equipped with thermometers in order to check grain quality on a continuous basis. A centralised suction system guarantees the cleanliness of the site and prevents the proliferation of insects. Equally the handling equipment has been chosen in order to eliminate the retention of the different products, and therefore eliminate grain mixes.
Our organic feeds integrate the highest level of safety requirements in order to guarantee “0 salmonella”.
Due to this, steam cooking is applied to every feed product manufactured at the Noyal-sur-Vilaine (35) mill.
The product quality is checked on a continuous basis thanks to an NIR (Near Infrared) that is mounted on the production line. This also provides our nutritionists with an instantaneous and detailed knowledge of the quality of the meals that they have got at their disposal for creating their rations.
Sustainable development, a collective responsibility
A pioneer in French organic agriculture, UFAB is motivated by a global approach to sustainable development. As far as we’re concerned, rather than a commitment, it is a real responsibility.
We are also convinced that a philosophy of continuous progress and improvement can only be beneficial.
Putting mankind at the centre of our commitments
UFAB puts people at the heart of its commitments, as part of its responsibility as an employer to the way in which it treats its employees, but also its societal responsibility towards consumers. We pay attention to the way in which we behave, as we want to be responsible with a real ethic of respect and progress.
Integrating an environmental dimension into our acts
Alongside the Le Gouessant group we have established an integrated approach for analysing and reducing our impact for every environmental aspect : water, waste, a circular economy, fighting against food wastage, energy, greenhouse gases, climate change, biodiversity and the countryside.
Acting for balanced territorial development
UFAB is anchored in its territory that covers Brittany, the Pays de la Loire and Normandy. Actions in multiple forms are undertaken on a daily basis in order for it to develop a modern sustainable agriculture. This commitment is undertaken with the collaboration of the region’s stakeholders and integrates a dimension for local life, thus reinforcing our local values.
As it is based on the triptych, economy, environment and social, Fair Trade is an initiative in which UFAB firmly believes. Because of this we created an organic soya network in Burkinabè in 2014 that was later given the label “Fair for Life”, in partnership with the associations Napam Beogo and Ingalan.
Energetic efficiency was one of the guiding principles in the construction of our collections silo based at Châteaubourg (35) : total LED lighting, translucent panels that let in daylight, the choice of equipment with low energy requirements… Equally, improvements within our feed mill have enabled our energy consumption to be reduced by 1 kWh per tonne of feed manufactured in 2 years.
The waste generated by our activities is largely plant based, and obtained from cleaning cereals, oilseeds and protein grains. It is sent for methanisation, generating manure and renewable energy.
In order to ensure that the feed mill at Noyal-Sur-Vilaine is supplied with a local organic cereals, UFAB has put new collection sites into place in Brittany. The construction of an organic silo at Châteaubourg (35) and the creation of a local collection area near to Ploëzal (22) have enabled us to double our capacity for local organic collection.
Wishing to maintain the health and safety of our employees, we have carried out a detailed study into the ergonomics of the different posts. At the Noyal mill, micro-dosage units have been introduced in order to reduce the amount of weight manhandled, at the Châteaubourg silo a lift has been installed. Desks that are height adjustable have been installed in our offices in order to ensure good work ergonomics.
The use of protein crops in the rotation is essential in order to maintain soil productivity. This is the reason why UFAB has developed a range of organic ingredients based on peas and beans, reconciling both market expectations and the cropping plans of the region’s farmers.
In partnership with the Fermiers de Loué, UFAB is offering local grain contracts. This initiative is aimed at developing the supply of local cereals for feeding Loué’s organic chickens. Equally, they guarantee the producer a secured outlet and income for five years.
Innovation, the motor for our growth
At UFAB we are encouraging a can-do attitude in order to help create a modern and efficient agriculture. The agronomic, zootechnical, industrial and even environmental challenges have always acted as motors for innovation and differentiation. This is the main reason why we are always testing new livestock rations, new cereal varieties, and new equipment for our industrial processes… This initiative enables us to anticipate mutations, and to meet the latest expectations of our clients and consumers.
In partnership with TELESPAZIO France, UFAB has put a system into place for the remote detection of datura in sarrasin. The use of a drone to fly over the fields was a first in France. It enabled the datura plants to be geo-localised in order for them to be pulled out before harvest, and therefore preventing the harvest from being contaminated.
In order to diversify crop rotations and provide new outlets for farmers, we are working on the organic oilseed rape crop. As a partner in the Secolbio project, UFAB has set up a series of trials in order to obtain new information concerning this particular crop, which is quite rare in France, in order to create new growing programs for the future : sowing density, fertilisation, companion plants…
Within the framework of the Casdar SECALIBIO project, UFAB is looking to create references and tools for helping the production of MPRP (protein rich raw materials) in France and the optimisation of their use in the nutrition of organic mono gastric animals, with the aim of moving to a feed that is 100% organic and that complies with European legislation.
In order to meet the demand for plant proteins, UFAB has created a usable range of meals and extruded ingredients that are 100% organic, 100% natural and which have a nutritional profile of proteins/starches/fibre that is balanced, our work is continuing in order to complete range using other leguminous plants: chickpeas, red and white beans, mungo and cowpea (blackeye) beans…
UFAB is making use of an institutional and associative partnership initiative. This concerted approach is aimed at ensuring the coherence of our work to help develop the organic sector.
