The Jamaican family-owned Pickapeppa Co Ltd has achieved the prestigious Global Food Safety Initiative Certificate (GFSI), Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) at its factory in Shooters Hill, Manchester.

This recognition places the manufacturers of premium quality sauces among only 17,000 companies worldwide that have so far achieved this certification, and positions the company to continue to expand its growth in the highly competitive export market.

“Our overseas distributors told us that without a GFSI our markets simply could not develop. In fact, they warned of quite the reverse,” a company release quotes CEO Stephen Lyn Kee Chow.

“Every member of the Pickapeppa team rose to the challenge without hesitation and we are extremely proud of their achievement. We have invested significantly in the infrastructure of our factory, made major improvements to our processes and expanded them into all areas of the business,” he added.

The company’s product range includes Pickapeppa Original Sauce, Spicy Mango, Hot Mango, Gingery Mango, and Hot Pepper sauce.

“The process of crafting our flagship Pickapeppa Sauce is a timely and meticulous operation. The exact details of the formula, which are kept securely in a bank vault, are known only to the family members, passed down from generation to generation. This sauce, like a fine wine, is aged in oak casks to achieve its unique flavour and aromas,” the company explained.

The Pickapeppa Company Limited had a humble beginning in the kitchen of Norman Nash, who started the process as a hobby in 1921. “Twenty-four years later, the rights and business, including the iconic parrot logo, were sold to Joseph Lyn Kee Chow, father of the present owners, with operations at Shooters Hill, Manchester, where the company still stands,” the release said.

Today, the company prides itself in maintaining the distinct quality, taste and flavour as it was then.

The business is 100 per cent Jamaican-owned by brothers Joseph, Stephen, and Michael Lyn Kee Chow. Stephen, the CEO, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company which employs more than 40 people from Shooters Hill and neighbouring communities. Several of them have been with the company their entire working life.

In its release, the company said it was committed to delivering the highest quality, consistency and flavour of all products. “Only the finest ingredients are used. There are no artificial colourings or flavourings. The products are gluten-free and are suitable for vegetarians. Cane vinegar which we manufacture ourselves is the only preservative,” the company stated.

It said that more than 95 per cent of its products are exported and can be found in all major supermarkets in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Cayman Islands, and New Zealand. They are also in leading gourmet stores in many other countries, as well as here in Jamaica.