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Customer case
FI&S and Brilliant are enhancing food safety, employee safety, and quality control in the spice processing industry.
FI&S and Brilliant enhance food safety, employee safety, and quality control
How do you ensure continuity, oversight, and safety in a food production environment where dust formation is a major challenge, without being occupied daily with reordering, changing resources, or unclear standards?
For Food Ingredients & Specialties (FI&S), the added value of working with Brilliant Group lies in uniformity, availability, and peace on the workplace. Employees have been using the same personal protective equipment and hygiene solutions for years, know what the standard is, and can rely on availability when needed. "We basically never run out. If something threatens to run out, it is quickly replenished."
That certainty gives FI&S the room to focus on what really matters: producing safely, meeting audits, and maintaining control over hygiene, food safety, and employee safety, every day.
The peace on the work floor is no coincidence. It is the result of a production environment with specific hygiene and (food) safety risks, where FI&S consciously focuses on structure, fixed routines, and practical solutions. In this case, Marvin Jansen, production manager at FI&S, explains how he deals with it daily and how Brilliant supports him in this.
Hygiene and food safety in spice processing
In an environment where powders are handled, cross-contamination is a constant threat. FI&S processes various raw materials and allergens that must be kept strictly separate to ensure food safety.
To manage these risks, the production units are thoroughly cleaned and inspected daily. FI&S uses established cleaning procedures and hygienically designed cleaning materials. The effectiveness of the cleaning is not simply assumed—it is measured.
Machines are tested daily using ATP measurements, and for allergens, additional product samples are taken and analyzed externally.
“Only once we have the green light do we start production. And if it’s not up to standard, we clean again.”
For this daily cleaning and inspection, FI&S uses Ecolab cleaning and disinfecting agents, swabs, and testing solutions that meet the requirements of food production environments.
Personal safety in a dusty production environment
In addition to food safety, personal safety also plays a major role. Powders combined with moisture lead to slippery floors, while internal transport with forklifts and reach trucks add extra risks. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to dust is an important concern for employees.
“People sometimes think: it's just a bit of dust. But if you've been working here for ten years and you inhale that bit of dust every day, it eventually becomes a problem.”
FI&S therefore pays a lot of attention to the use of personal protective equipment. Think of work shoes with sufficient grip, respiratory protection against dust, and appropriate work clothing for production environments. These resources are not a sideline but an integral part of daily work.
Brilliant provides FI&S with a broad and consistent range of PPE, allowing employees to always work with equipment that suits their tasks and risks.
Behavior, training, and process control in the production environment
Technology, resources, and procedures form the foundation, but ultimately, behavior determines whether measures actually work. According to FI&S, that is precisely where one of the biggest challenges lies.
Not everyone speaks the same language or understands instructions in the same way. That’s why FI&S deliberately uses visual instructions in the workplace. Think of clear handwashing instructions, flowcharts, and four-step lessons with photos, so that the purpose is clear at a glance.
“If we give people a block of text, they tune out. With visuals, they understand it much better.”
New employees receive comprehensive onboarding and always work alongside experienced colleagues during their first few weeks. Only once it’s clear that someone understands the tasks and rules are they allowed to work independently. In addition, daily startup meetings play an important role. During these meetings, we discuss what’s important that day, what requires extra attention, and which risks need to be addressed.
This ensures that safety, hygiene, and appropriate behavior remain top of mind at all times. “When several people follow the rules, the rest usually follow suit.”
Quality assurance and inspection of food safety
The combination of strict processes, clear routines, and control points ensures that FI&S maintains control over both production and safety. Each production day follows a fixed structure: from startup and cleaning to testing, producing, and cleaning again at the end of the day.
That structure is essential, especially in an environment where audits are a regular occurrence. With an average of seventeen audits per year, being continuously audit-ready is not an ambition but a necessity.
“Every day is an audit day. That’s not written at the production entrance for nothing. It reminds us daily that we must be continuously engaged in hygiene and food safety.”
FI&S and Brilliant Group continue to improve together
The collaboration between FI&S and Brilliant Group has been ongoing for many years and began even before Marvin started in his current role. Meanwhile, Brilliant has become an established partner within the production environment.
Ordering through a user-friendly customer portal and personalized order lists
Marvin places the orders for production and quality control himself; the facilities management and cleaning departments each use their own accounts. For everything related to hygiene, food safety, and personal safety, Brilliant is the go-to provider.
“For supplies down here, we don’t really work with any other suppliers.”
What helps the most is how easy it is to place orders. “I have my standard order lists. Three clicks and everything’s added. It just works.”
Brilliant’s customer portal plays an important role in this. Departments can create their own order lists, so little time is wasted searching or comparing options. Because the product range is so broad, Marvin almost always finds what he needs. And he also comes across solutions he hadn’t even thought of himself.
“Sometimes I also enjoy seeing what you have that I didn’t even know I needed.”
Practical advice and transparent and helpful service
In addition to ordering, FI&S Brilliant is also approachable when there is a need for advice. Whether it's about personal protective equipment, cleaning agents, or a practical question from the shop floor: support is provided from the practical experience of food production.
"If I have any doubts about something, I can just call or email. I don't get a sales pitch, but a normal answer."
The service and accessibility are also appreciated.
"If a product is not available, you will hear about it. And if I ask a question, I get a quick response."
And what if there are hiccups? Like in any long-term collaboration, there are also areas for improvement. Recently, the delivery times for some products have increased, particularly work shoes.
"Waiting four weeks for shoes is difficult if someone needs them now."
These types of situations are openly discussed. FI&S provides feedback, Brilliant communicates about availability and collaborates on alternatives. No promises are made that can't be fulfilled, but transparency is provided. The overall picture remains positive.
"I give the collaboration an 8. If we optimize delivery times further together, that score can only go up. I am already very satisfied with the people and the service."
What does the FI&S collaboration concretely deliver in practice?
According to Marvin, the greatest added value lies in uniformity and continuity. Employees have been wearing the same types of PPE for years, making it clear what the standard is and what can be relied upon. Additionally, availability is crucial.
"We almost never run out. If something threatens to run low, it is quickly replenished."
This provides peace of mind on the work floor and room to focus on what really matters: producing safely and meeting all requirements.
The partnership between FI&S and Brilliant Group is future-proof
Like many manufacturing companies, FI&S is feeling the impact of geopolitical tensions and changing markets. Still, the company remains focused on the future.
“If volume continues to pick up, we can simply scale up together.”
And that is precisely where the strength of the partnership lies: a partner that adapts to real-world conditions, understands what’s happening on the shop floor, and provides support where needed—without unnecessary complexity.
About Food Ingredients & Specialties (FI&S)
Food Ingredients & Specialties (FI&S) produces herb and spice blends for the processed food industry in the Benelux and beyond. In the production environment, up to 30,000 kilograms of powder products are processed daily. These blends form an essential basis for the end product of their customers.
The production environment requires strict control of hygiene, food safety, and personal safety, with specific attention to allergens, dust load, and audit requirements.
About Marvin Jansen
Marvin Jansen is a production manager at FI&S and knows the organization inside out. He began 6.5 years ago as a production employee, advanced to team leader, and today he is responsible for the entire production organization.
“I manage everything related to production. From personnel and planning to the daily operations on the floor. And yes, that also includes the contact with Brilliant and placing orders with them.”
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