Food Safety

 

Currently we are implementing a Food Security Program developed by SCS in order to make sure that every step in our production and delivery is protected to prevent potential harm to the consumer.

Our production system is fully automated and if anything abnormal happens, such as a drop in temperature or a disruption of our watering system, alarms will notify us immediately so that we can fix the problem and our product quality will always remain high.

In our pursuit of the perfect sprout we have found that a good housekeeping and sanitation program is very important. First and foremost we adhere to all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and recommendations. Our third party inspections are performed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Our Maintenance Manager, Plant Manager, and Food Assurance & Food Safety Manager have received training and certification through SCS in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). They in turn train each employee in proper procedures needed for the performance of their individual jobs.

Bacteria Testing

To ensure a safe product from the beginning, we follow all FDA regulations by disinfecting our seeds in 20,000 ppm chlorine solutions for at least 15 minutes. This greatly reduces the risk of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Then, the irrigation water for each batch of sprouts is tested for pathogenic bacteria before the sprouts are packaged and shipped to the customer.

In addition to the daily testing for the bacteria and other general parameters by an outside testing laboratory, we collect the irrigation run-off water followed by FDA Guidance and ship to Silliker Laboratory in Modesto CA. Silliker laboratory is the worldwide network of accredited food testing and consulting laboratories. Our sprouts are shipped to the consumers only after we see that there is not a presence of harmful bacteria.

In addition to the daily testing of the product, we also perform routine total plate count tests around the entire plant in order to monitor the levels of general bacteria and adjust sanitation procedures as needed. Our well water is routinely tested both in our lab and at an outside lab to prevent any contamination problems before they arise. The chlorine levels of our water are also closely monitored to make sure the water is adequately disinfected.

Another step that we take to ensure the highest quality sprout is in the purchase of our seed. All of our seed is certified as pathogen free, but we also perform our own tests. First we receive a sample and test it for contamination. Then after receiving the order, we again test the seed to make sure of its safety before we introduce it into our production-growing program.

We collaborate with staff at the NSF Davis Fresh and Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to make our food safety programs as stringent as possible.

Shipping

To assure that we can deliver the safest and freshest product possible, we process our sprouts 365 days a year. We closely monitor the refrigeration temperature in both our factory storage as well as in our trucks.

If a problem does arise any where in production, we are able to track each batch of sprouts from germination, to their packaging, to their delivery, and all the way to the store with our detailed record keeping system. This combined with prompt on time delivery and our quality control testing procedures, promise you the freshest and safest sprouts available today! We guarantee consistent delivery that is on time and daily, if needed.