Yelo Enterprises has been awarded the highest grade of ‘AA’ by food safety standards body BRCGS.

The company uses mechanical presses to extract oil from its rapeseed claiming it produces the only sustainable and solvent-free alternative to the more common chemically pressed rapeseed oil.

Yelo launched the product this month following BRCGS’s grading award in September.

The business has also invested in technology to generate its own heat and power requirements from renewable energy sources.

Yelo’s CEO, Kevin Ball, said: “This AA rating from BRCGS is exactly what we were aiming for. To achieve it with our first ever audit is a testament to the great team we have put together at Yelo, and our commitment to food and safety quality.”

“This certification will extend our reach into all these markets. And at a time when the world is facing a climate crisis, we are producing high quality animal feed and a vegetable oil with a low carbon footprint, that will reduce imports and, at the same time, support British agriculture.”

Carlo Matos, operations director, added: “The food safety audit was a rigorous assessment of our vegetable oil refinery and our bulk tanker loading facilities”

“This allows us to increase our refinery output towards its full capacity. Our refinery is the 3rd largest of its kind in the UK and we can supply up to 20% of the UK’s food grade rapeseed oil demand.”

To prepare for Brexit, the company is currently buying only domestic rapeseed in support of UK agriculture.