Food Safety Programs
At Boskovich Farms, we recognize the importance of providing safe, top quality products. Therefore, we continually strive to maintain the highest standards for a first-rate food safety program. Our vertical integration allows greater control over each aspect of our food safety and sanitation practices, including: field history, growing, harvesting, cooling, processing, packing and distribution.
Boskovich Farms Food Safety Program is made up of two primary areas: (1) The farm where the crops are grown and harvested, and (2) The processing plant where the produce is washed, cooled, processed and packaged.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in the Field
Boskovich Farms GAP program was developed based on USDA guidelines and incorporates The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Matrix into the program. Fields are certified by Primus Laboratories and the following elements are incorporated in the documented program:
- Field choice and historical field usage.
- Pre-planting risk assessments.
- Pre-harvest risk assessment.
- Water source testing program.
- Soil testing program.
- Training program for harvesting crews weekly in tailgate meetings.
- Testing and sanitation program for harvesting equipment.
- Use and maintenance of portable restrooms.
- GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) used by field crews.
- Procedures for cleaning and sanitizing bin and tote containers before use.
- A Boskovich Field Quality Assurance employee monitors this program and does random GMP checks.
- Monthly ranch audits are done by the Boskovich Quality Assurance Field Tech.
Boskovich Farms Receiving Program
Once the product is received at the plant, a pallet tag is attached to each pallet stating the following information:
- Ranch location indicating where the crop was grown.
- Block number of the ranch where the crop had been harvested.
- Boskovich crop ID number.
- The crew number who harvested it.
- The variety of the crop.
- The Supplier ID.
- The time the product arrived at the plant.
- Receiving Tag numbers.
The product is then cooled by way of chlorinated Hydro-Coolers or Hydro-Vacuum. After cooling, the produce is moved into refrigerated storage areas.
Boskovich Farms Processing Facility Certified Primus GFS as of 2010
Product brought into the plant for use in the processing facility is also subject to the following programs designed to further insure the safety of the food:
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) programs are in place for each processing line. The HACCP programs are reviewed and updated annually by a third party auditor.
- A Supplier Approval Program is in place and supplier audits are done by our Quality Assurance Coordinator as needed.
- A Core Food Safety Team is in place. Team members are made up of different department supervisors. The Team meets at least monthly.
- GMP policies are written and reviewed annually by the Core Food Safety Team.
- Sanitation Programs are updated and reviewed annually by the Core Food Safety Team.
- Training is done using the Alchemy System.
- A Pest Control Program is in place. It is monitored by a full time in-house employee and also twice monthly by an outside pest control company.
- A Food Security Program is in place. Boskovich Farms also employs a full time security company to monitor all facility gates during regular business hours.
- A full time trainer and training program is in place.
- Boskovich Farms has an independent, third party laboratory on the facility. Testing programs for environmental, water, ice, raw produce and finished product are in place.
- Maintenance-related food safety programs are in place.
- Traceback and Recall Programs are in place. These programs are tested twice a year by means of a “Mock” recall. We also do “Mock” recalls with our growing partners in Mexico once a year.
- Certified Third Party Audits are also conducted.
- Boskovich Farms, Inc. has a Food Security Program in place and registered facility by the FDA.
- Boskovich Farms is certified by CCOF for an organic program.