Seara offers customers and consumers channels for contact, such as a toll free number and the Contact Us area on the brand’s website, as well as contacts by e-mail, on social media like Facebook and Instagram, and on specialized service sites, such as Reclame Aqui.

Contacts are captured directly through the Seara Customer Service Center, except for those made through social media, where the first contact with the consumer is made by a team specialized in this relationship.

In 2019, the Customer Service Center took 49,131 contacts, 11.8% of which were from the foreign market, with the rest from the Brazilian market. The service level reached by the toll-free number in 2019 was 97%. During the year, the total number of complaints fell by 25%, with complaints related to the plants dropping by 30%, year-over-year. For the foreign market, the response time for complaints was 10% faster than in 2018.

The Customer Service Center is the main channel for gathering customer and consumer perceptions related to the quality of products and services. Based on manifestations (criticisms, compliments or complaints), treatment and improvements to plant processes and products are carried out. Manifestations are captured through service channels and are made available to plants online and to strategic areas daily through the management panel.

In addition, the Company has the Seara Academy, promoting actions and consumer panels, the results of which are reflected in innovations and product improvements.

Also worth noting is the Seara brand’s maintenance of the Reclame Aqui RA1000 seal, which is given to companies with an excellent rate of service. During the year, the Rezende and Massa Leve brands were also given the seal. Seara was a finalist in the Revista Época Reclame Aqui Award for excellence in consumer services, placing 3rd in the Perishable Food – Frozen and Fairy Products category.

¹SOURCE: Nielsen Base Retail Index – ON’19.
²SOURCE: Kantar Insights – Millwar Brown – Seara Brand Tracking
³SOURCE: Kantar Insights – Millwar Brown – Seara Brand Tracking
⁴SOURCE: Kantar World Panel – CROSS Categories Basket.

Hatchery in Nuporanga (SC)

Quality

The Seara Quality and Food Safety Management System (SGQSA) can be broken down into three major groups: food safety, perceived quality and supplier/customer.

These themes are covered in documents developed by Seara and aimed at management of these aspects, including the Food Quality and Safety Policy, which expresses the Company’s commitment to producing quality, healthy and safe food. In 2019, R$ 274.4 million was invested in actions connected to this topic and 2,462 people were trained.

Seara undergoes regular audits by the Federal Inspection System (SIF) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), which performs official verification regarding compliance with the regulations and standards applicable to production of poultry meat and pork and their byproducts. During 2019, the Company welcomed international missions at 16 production units.

The public receives regular information about Seara products through the websites www.seara.com.br and www.searainternational.com. And it has a Customer Service Center, providing online services and direct contact with consumers and customers interested in finding information on products and processes. A team of technicians at offices abroad assure that key legal and market demands are gathered, along with transparently communicating the main technical topics of interest to their customers. Seara has professionals dedicated to guaranteeing expected service levels for its so-called Global Accounts, which include major chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, Subway and Burger King, among others. 

A network of 14 food labs are ISO 17025 accredited, specifically for this type of unit, have developed 854 certified methods which have been implemented according to international standards and audited by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO).

Certifications

BRC v.8
Global Standard for Food Safety: the Global Standard of the BRC (British Retail Consortium) for Food Safety was created to guarantee supplier compliance and assure distributor capacity to ensure the quality and safety of the food products they sell. In 2019, a total of 14 Seara production units were certified.

Halal
Certification of the food production chain, which certifies if the production process complies with religious precepts, as well as current laws.

Animal Welfare Certification
PAACO (Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization) – Assesses compliance with animal welfare standards for meat processing plants. The Amparo (SP) and Itapetininga (SP) production units are certified. Seara Da Granja also holds Certified Humane certification.

Chain of Custody Certification
A company protocol for assessing the production chain (hatchery, feed plant, aviaries, slaughter) for Green Chicken, verifying the following requirements: raised without the use of antibiotics or growth promoters; fed only with plant-based feed; and processed according to animal welfare standards.

Organic Chicken
Assessment through which a certifying agency, duly accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) and accredited by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro), assures that the product and process comply with organic production standards and practices.

Free-range Chicken
Assessment done of the production chain (hatchery, feed plant and meatpacking plant) by a certification agency in relation to ISO 16389:2015.

Smeta
Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA). Certifies that companies are using best practices in ethical auditing techniques.

Healthiness

In 2019, Seara worked to lower sodium, fat and sugar content in products, as part of a commitment to meet the Brazilian regulatory agency (Anvisa) standards and promote consumer health.

Highlights during the year include the kick-off of seven projects related to reducing sodium and fat and the development of product categories aimed at increased healthiness, such as Seara Nature – made using only natural ingredients, Seara Rotisserie and Organic Chicken, in addition to awards for innovation in the Seara Rotisserie and Seara Nature ranges.

Seara Nature ham sausage sandwich

Innovation

Seara uses a wide variety of efforts to foster development of innovation at the Company. One of its biggest challenges is the ability to forecast food consumption trends, through a close relationship with consumers and by making them feel connected, listened to and respected. To do this, the Company also invests in innovative management via an ongoing and wide-ranging digital transformation process. 

One high point in 2019 was the Incredible Lab, a hub for innovation formed by Company researchers in partnership with scientists, universities and even consumers. The Incredible Lab was created with a focus on developing plant-based protein products for the Incredible Seara range, but its activities will be extended to innovations related to other lines.

The Incredible Lab’s biggest find was the i Biomolecule, which combines natural aromatic molecules with fermentation of existing natural ingredients to guarantee similarity to animal protein. The Incredible Seara range of products are 100% plant-based and are made with pea and soy base, but have the flavor and texture of meat. 

Made using soybeans and beats, the Incredible Burger, in the Seara Gourmet Range, was launched in May 2019. It was the Company’s first plant-based product and its popularity was one of the reasons why Seara developed an entire range of plant-based products. 

To guarantee this synchronicity with consumer needs and interests, opportunities to innovate at Seara are identified in a variety of ways: at national and international trade shows, through technical visits, research and in-house workshops, through partnerships with suppliers and more. Research prepared by a group of internationally respected institutes helps in understanding market trends and consumer behavior. Internally, the Perceived Quality project applies research to monitor the performance of Seara products compared to other options on the market.

The innovative project pipeline at Seara is managed on a monthly and quarterly basis. Investment in this area in 2019 totaled R$ 54 million, spread across process, brand and trade improvement actions. During the year, 187 products were launched in Brazil and around the world. 

Projects are aimed at fulfilling global trends and needs related to the platforms of healthiness, indulgence and convenience. Performance in reaching these goals is measured using indicators that include perceived quality, percentage of margin, reduced variable cost and shorter project execution time. 

The results of this system geared toward innovation was a variable cost reduced by R$ 74 million, with items tested for perceived quality performing equal to or above the competition 93% of the time, in addition to a 25% faster project development time when compared to 2018. 

At Seara Academy, events make it possible to gain direct access to customer and consumer opinions, collaborating to enhance products. 

The Q Lab, Seara’s data intelligence center, consolidates data from dozens of different sources, processing and delivering analytical studies with a consumer-focused vision, which helps in gaining more efficiency in marketing activities. 

The Q Lab also contributes interpretation of consumer movements and trend analysis. The use of data intelligence and social listening allow the Company to take the pulse of discussions, taking stock of what people are saying on social media and seeing whether any opportunities can be seized in real time.