Food Safety is a top priority in our fields and facilities
At Fortune Growers, we take great pride and care when it comes to all Food Safety Standards and our strict adherence to the Global Food Safety Initiative, Good Agricultural Practices, Produce Traceability, Initiative Compliant and Primus Certifications.
Global Food Safety Initiative
The R&D team of Fortune Growers is dedicated to being at the forefront of clean production for our products, equipment, facility and employees. We create benchmarks aligned with pharmaceutical and high-tech environments for sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness.
Produce Traceability Initiative Compliant
The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) is an industry-led effort to enhance traceability throughout the entire produce supply chain. The Initiative’s sponsor associations include United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh), Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and Produce Marketing Association (PMA). Fortune Growers is committed to being PTI compliant and the implementation of case-level electronic traceability.
Primus Certification
Primus Labs is a global leader in food safety and has been servicing the fresh produce industry for more than two decades. Primus GFS is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked and fully recognized audit scheme covering both GAP and GMP scopes as well as food safety management systems (FSMS). Primus Labs was the first Certification Body to be ISO 65 accredited and Azzule approved for this new GFSI audit. As an industry leader in food safety, Fortune Growers instituted an uncompromising Quality Improvement and Food Safety Program. We are proud to announce that Fortune Growers has earned another year of a Primus GFS Rating of 99.51 Superior.
Fortune Growers Food Safety Program
The R&D team of Fortune Growers is dedicated to being at the forefront of clean production for our products, equipment, facility and employees. We create benchmarks aligned with pharmaceutical and high-tech environments for sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness.
GROWER & SITE SELECTION - Food Safety
- Review Grower Food Safety and GAP program
- Perform all Pre-Season, Pre-Planting Assessments including Water Microbiological Contamination, Water Source, Risk Area Management and Flooding
- Determine & Finalize Best Performing Growers
- Implement all necessary actions for Final Growers and Sites
LAND PREPARATION & PRE-PLANTING
- Full soil amendment requirements
- Obtain and Review Certificate of Analyses (COA)
- Finalize Compost & Sampling Procedures
- Ensure application of amendments meets time interval between application and harvest, if derived from animal origin
- Determine, Test & Review all Water Irrigation Systems
- Validate Non-Synthetic crop treatments
- Obtain COA validation process and microbiological testing results
- Ensure treatments do not come into direct contact of edible portion of crop
- Validate Synthetic Crop Treatment and secure Letter of Guarantee
PLANTING
- Monitor growing conditions and quality. Must report all unacceptable findings, take corrective actions, and document
- Receive and review monthly water microbiological testing results and take necessary corrective actions
- Review 3rd Party GAP ranch audits and ensure all corrective actions have taken place
- Confirm compliance to LGMA metrics
PRE-HARVEST
- Conduct Pre-Harvest Field Assessment
- Receive and review water testing results to ensure compliance
- Collect documentation verifying employee GAP training
HARVEST
- Conduct daily Harvest Assessment
- Ensure GAP Training for all crews
- Conduct 3rd Party GAP Harvest Crew Audit
- Conduct Monthly Harvesting Food Safety training on Food Safety Topics
- Document and verify all crops near postharvest water meets microbiological standards
FIELD LEVEL SITE SELECTION - Food Safety
- Obtain all field maps
- Complete Site Selection Assessment - GAP #10
- Review form GAP #10 for Evaluation
- Accept or Reject Field
- Take corrective actions if necessary as part of final approval
LAND PREPARATION & PRE-PLANTING
- Full soil amendment requirements
- Obtain Certificate of Analyses (COA)
- Review COA
- Ensure application of amendments meets time interval between application and harvest, if derived from animal origin
- Complete Pre-Planting Assessment - GAP #11
- Determine, Test & Review all Water Irrigation Systems
- Validate Non-Synthetic Crop Treatments
- Obtain COA validation process and microbiological testing results
- Ensure treatments do not come into direct contact of edible portion of crop
- Validate Synthetic Crop Treatment and confirm COA Validation Process
PLANTING
- Monitor growing conditions and quality. Must report all unacceptable findings, take corrective actions, and document
- Receive and review monthly water microbiological testing results and take necessary corrective actions
- Review 3rd Party GAP ranch audits and ensure all corrective actions have taken place
PRE-HARVEST
- Complete Equipment Approval Form and take Corrective Actions
- Conduct Pre-Harvest Field Assessment - GAP #13
- Ensure Compliance via completed Water Microbiological testing
- Collect documentation verifying employee GAP training
HARVEST
- Conduct daily Harvest Assessment
- Ensure GAP Training for all crews
- Conduct 3rd Party GAP Harvest Crew Audit
- Conduct Monthly Harvesting Food Safety training on Food Safety Topics
- Document and verify all crops near postharvest water meets microbiological standards
PLANT LEVEL TRANSPORTATION OF RAW PRODUCTS - Food Safety
- Inspect transportation for cleanliness
RECEIVING, COOLING, & STORAGE
- Collect field Bill of Lading (BOL)
- Assign internal Lot Coding Tag
- Inspect for obvious sign of product contamination and quality issues
- Record product temperature before and after cooling
- Store product in refrigerated room; room must be maintained at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
- Maintain pest control program
- Ensure storage facility is kept clean and used only for produce
- Conduct a monthly cooling facility audit, complete form GAP #17, and perform corrective actions if needed
PROCESSING
- Ensure proper sanitizer level is maintained, ORP at 650 mV or free chlorine above 1 ppm and pH 6.5-7.5
- Make sure the facility has the following programs:
- HACCP
- GMP
- GSFI (SQF Compliant)
- Pest Control
- Employee Training
- Microbiological Testing
- Food Security/Bioterrorism
- Crisis Management
- Self Inspection
- Schedule a yearly 3rd party audit and take corrective actions to address deficiencies
- Ensure product is properly palletized
- Put finished product traceability tags on every pallet of finished product
- Cool finished product to 33-36 degrees Fahrenheit and document the cooling procedure
STORAGE & SHIPPING
- Store product in cold room; product must be maintained at a temperature as close as possible to 34 degrees Fahrenheit
- Make sure storage facility is maintained clean and has a pest control program
- Ensure trucks are clean prior to loading and that truck has been properly cooled to 36 degrees Fahrenheit
- Remove one finished product traceability tag from each pallet and attach to pick sheet, which is maintained with the BOL
- Load truck and ship