Index Fresh takes steps with food safety role
Index Fresh takes steps with food safety role
Dana Thomas, president of Bloomington, CA-based Index Fresh, has announced the appointment of Nate Pidduck to the newly created position of food-safety coordinator.
Index Fresh's initiative represents perhaps the first food-safety coordinator for growers in the avocado industry. As food-safety coordinator, Mr. Pidduck will be responsible for ensuring that food- safety criteria are met by Index Fresh's suppliers. He is working with Index Fresh to prepare a manual that will help in simplifying the process.
"We are anticipating the needs of our customers to carry food safety back to the grove," Mr. Thomas said. "We're providing certification of food safety throughout the chain from the grove to the shelf. We think it's a service that has value to our customers."
Mr. Pidduck, who was raised on an avocado and lemon farm in Santa Paula, CA, earned his bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has been a produce vendor with Underwood Family Farms in Somis, CA, and has served as coastal sales manager for Kimball Toppers in Santa Paula. He also has field experience in agricultural production. He is conversant in Spanish and has traveled extensively throughout North America, Central America and South America.
Mr. Pidduck will work with growers to help them prepare for third- party audits, such as those conducted by Primuslabs.com.
Issues such as sanitation, worker health and hygiene, facilities and field sanitation, water, transportation and traceability will be addressed. Mr. Thomas said that while such grower-level audits are not yet mandatory in today's market, Index Fresh believes that they will soon become required in California.
Index Fresh's initiative represents perhaps the first food-safety coordinator for growers in the avocado industry. As food-safety coordinator, Mr. Pidduck will be responsible for ensuring that food- safety criteria are met by Index Fresh's suppliers. He is working with Index Fresh to prepare a manual that will help in simplifying the process.
"We are anticipating the needs of our customers to carry food safety back to the grove," Mr. Thomas said. "We're providing certification of food safety throughout the chain from the grove to the shelf. We think it's a service that has value to our customers."
Mr. Pidduck, who was raised on an avocado and lemon farm in Santa Paula, CA, earned his bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has been a produce vendor with Underwood Family Farms in Somis, CA, and has served as coastal sales manager for Kimball Toppers in Santa Paula. He also has field experience in agricultural production. He is conversant in Spanish and has traveled extensively throughout North America, Central America and South America.
Mr. Pidduck will work with growers to help them prepare for third- party audits, such as those conducted by Primuslabs.com.
Issues such as sanitation, worker health and hygiene, facilities and field sanitation, water, transportation and traceability will be addressed. Mr. Thomas said that while such grower-level audits are not yet mandatory in today's market, Index Fresh believes that they will soon become required in California.