A Newport-based luxury chocolate company has secured important food safety certification, which will enable them to pitch their products to leading industry buyers at Blas Cymru / Taste Wales, thanks to support from the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme.
Bossa Nova, a producer of handmade Brazilian-style chocolate truffles, has successfully secured SALSA certification following technical assistance delivered by ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
SALSA is one of the UK’s most widely recognised food and drink safety certification and it is important to many food and drink manufacturers as it demonstrates that they are operating to industry-recognised food and drink safety standards. Securing SALSA means that Bossa Nova can attend Blas Cymru / Taste Wales, Wales’s flagship event for the food and drink manufacturing sector.
Founded in 2019 by Brazil-born Andrea Staggemeier, Bossa Nova’s name comes from her love of the Brazilian music style. Through the HELIX Programme, previously Project HELIX, ZERO2FIVE has provided the company with a range of support, including help with shelf-life improvements and process efficiency.
To drive further business growth, Bossa Nova relocated to a larger production facility in 2025. ZERO2FIVE supported the company with site design of their new factory, helping the company to ensure that it met regulatory requirements and enabled efficient, quality and safe production. Bossa Nova also embarked upon securing SALSA certification.
Andrea first attended a half day SALSA workshop at ZERO2FIVE, which provided an overview of the requirements of the standard. A ZERO2FIVE technologist then delivered one-to-one mentoring, focusing on the different sections of the SALSA standard, from prerequisite controls and HACCP to management systems and premises. ZERO2FIVE also supplied the company with templates that could be adapted into their own bespoke food safety management system.
Prior to Bossa Nova’s SALSA audit, ZERO2FIVE carried out a pre-audit, which helped the company to understand what to expect from the real thing and to make any refinements.
Bossa Nova successfully passed their SALSA audit in August 2025 enabling the company to secure their spot at Blas Cymru / Taste Wales in Newport in October 2025. Attending this event will allow the company to showcase their products to retail and foodservice buyers from across the UK and worldwide. Securing SALSA means that Bossa Nova can supply their chocolates to larger customers who require the standard.
Andrea Staggemeier, Owner, Bossa Nova, said: “With the amazing support from ZERO2FIVE I couldn’t go wrong with securing SALSA certification. SALSA is fundamental to my business growth plan, and it will open up so many new opportunities for potential customers. I came from a different industry into food, and so ZERO2FIVE’s knowledge has been vital to a small business like mine.”
Professor David Lloyd, Director of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said: “It’s always great to see a Welsh food and drink manufacturer like Bossa Nova take the next step in their growth journey thanks to our support and their hard work. Securing third party food safety certification like SALSA or BRCGS is one of the best ways for companies to grow and we can offer a range of Welsh Government funded support to help achieve this.”
