For the second time, Roberto Biurrun and Burghard Meyer packed their work tools and flew to Brazil. There, between 24 October and 25 November, the teams that work in eight breweries of the largest brewing group in the region were waiting anxiously.

On this occasion, the number of breweries to be audited to receive certification according to compliance with the German purity law doubled. Thus - in addition to the recertified breweries of Rio de Janeiro, Piraí, Pernambuco and Lages - the breweries of Jacareí, Fortaleza, Jaguariuna and Uberlandia were prepared for the detailed examination.

In a total of four weeks, VLB auditors covered 14,500 kilometers of Brazil. As if this were not enough, in each brewery an average of 5 kilometers was walked daily, thoroughly reviewing all the installed equipment, the documentation involved and the brewing process itself.

At the end of each audit, an eager team of employees and their leaders awaited the results. Successfully, the eight audited breweries received the certification, that means, there were no "non-conformities". Likewise, in the closing meetings, in a jovial atmosphere of discussion, the recommendations and opportunities for improvement shared by the VLB auditors (not only inherent to the certified points), were well received by the breweries.

Burghard Meyer: "It was reassuring to see how the breweries we visited for the second time implemented the recommendations we made on the visit last year, regardless of whether they were things related to the audit itself." For his part, Roberto Biurrun pointed out: It is always interesting to see things like a high level of process uniformity, but even more is to be able to verify the great commitment of the personnel of each audited plant.

The "Reinheitsgebot" (also known as the German Purity Law), is an edict from 1516 that was originally created in southern Germany. Limit the use of raw materials for the production of beer to water, malt, yeast and hops. It is still in force for beers brewed in Germany for the domestic market.

Audited breweries now shows their certifications, which are valid for one year.

The young team from Pernambuco led by Flavia Picolotto (graduate of VLB Berlin) smiles after recertification

Auditors Burghard Meyer and Roberto Biurrun inspecting the brewing process in one of the audited companies