CONTACTS:
Cindy Railing, APR
Railing & Associates
510-885-1952
BOGGIATTO PRODUCE EXPANDS
COMPREHENSIVE FOOD SAFETY INITIATIVE
Hires Industry Expert to Lead the New Program
SALINAS, Calif., May 20, 2006 � As part of its commitment to quality and excellence, Boggiatto Produce, Inc. announces the establishment of a comprehensive, in-house food safety program. The program will be led by Jos� Luis Garc�a-Ca�edo, an established food safety expert who is well-versed in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
While still in development, the company�s mission is to expand on its existing third-party audits by creating an internal program that will set the gold-standard for food safety in the agricultural industry. It will include identifying and implementing the highest standards in GAPs and GMPs, taking those standards to the next level wherever possible. It is one of a very few small to mid-sized companies willing to make the investment in a program of this magnitude. The program will take an in-depth approach to addressing issues such as safe growing practices, machinery maintenance and sanitization, as well as harvesting and packing practices.
�Quality and care have always been our bywords at Boggiatto Produce,� stated President and General Manager Michael Boggiatto. �This food safety initiative goes hand in hand with that philosophy. It will provide extra assurance to both our retail and foodservice buyers who can feel secure in the knowledge that their customers are getting the highest quality, safest produce available in the marketplace today.�
The program�s first area of focus has been personnel training, since it�s well known that human contamination is where the risk is most pronounced and the greatest strides can be made. Boggiatto Produce, under the guidance of Mr. Garc�a-Ca�edo, has established a food safety and hygiene training program for all field harvest employees. At the conclusion of training, all employees must agree to and sign a formal code of conduct as a condition of employment.
In keeping with the initiative, Boggiatto Produce continues to invest in state-of-the-art harvesting machinery that is designed to facilitate the highest food safety standards. All machinery is sanitized after every use. This practice goes far beyond the industry norm of weekly sanitization.
These are just a couple of areas of initial concentration. The company will also continue its association with Primus Labs, a leading provider of food safety services for the fresh produce industry. In addition to third-party audits of GAPs and GMPs, Primus will continue to provide testing services to ensure that no product is harvested unless it is safe to consume.
Mr. Garc�a-Ca�edo, coordinator of Boggiatto�s food safety program was previously employed by Primus Labs, where he was the company�s lead auditor. He supervised and conducted third-party audits to evaluate food safety practices among growers, harvesting operations and processing/cooling facilities. He also monitored Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs as well as cleaning and sanitizing practices. A graduate of Universidad Aut�noma de Sinaloa (Culiac�n, Sinaloa, Mexico), Mr. Garc�a-Ca�edo holds a master�s degree in food science and technology.
Based in Salinas, California, the �Salad Bowl of the World,� Boggiatto Produce, Inc. was established in 1989 as a fresh produce shipper. In 1992, the company pioneered the growing, packing and shipping of hearts of romaine and today, its Garden Hearts� label is the undisputed industry leader. In 2004, the company added Iceberg Babies� to its family of Garden Hearts� products. In addition, the company ships a line of approximately 60 other fresh produce items. All are available nationwide to foodservice operations through produce distributors. For more information about the company and its products, visit www.boggiatto.com.
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