Professional Produce a grower, packer and distributor located in Vernon, CA, has recently undergone some vast overhauls of its operations between a new sorting/packing machine and achieving SQF Level 2 certification.

“This will not only improve our internal processes but will directly correlate to the product and quality the consumers are going to be getting,” said Ted Kaplan, owner of the company.Professional Produce has overhauled its operations to provide higher-quality products to its customers.

Professional Produce chose Compac Sorting Equipment due to its expertise and knowledge in the industry.

“We were looking for a machine that could fit into our particular business,” Alexander Ersoff, a sales representative at Professional Produce, added. “We have a different type of operation than a packinghouse so we needed something that could sort different commodities and also be able to put out various ideal packs for our diverse customer base.”

The machine will be run daily to sort and package numerous types of commodities, including tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, lemons and kiwis.

The new line features the InVision software to detect any blemishes, bruising, scarring or color defects the product may have. Additionally, the machine features an automatic bin dumper assembled by Compac FHS and an automatic tote emptier constructed by AG Design.

“The ultimate goal of the machine is to continue increasing output capabilities while at the same time continuing to improve all around quality and pack outs for the customer,” Ersoff said.

Additionally, Professional Produce has achieved SQF Level 2 certification with a score of better than 90 percent.

Kevin Oliphant, food safety manager, articulated that food safety is the main goal at Professional Produce and the company will remain on the forefront of innovating its procedures.

“Every customer and end consumer wants to know in the back of their head that what they are eating is healthy and safe,” said Oliphant. “The processes that we have implemented will ensure to everybody that we are taking the required steps in making sure this happens.”

SQF, or Safe Quality Foods, is one of nine recognized schemes under the Global Food Safety Initiative. Some of the components of the SQF Food Safety System include management commitment, vendor management, document control, identifying and controlling critical control points with prerequisite programs and training. Moreover, Professional Produce has been certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices.

“We pride ourselves and our success on customer service and delivering for the end purchaser,” Kaplan added. “We will continue to do whatever it takes to stay at the frontline and to reassure everybody who is doing business with us that we are in this for the long haul and that we will take the necessary steps to continue improving and catering to our customers ever-changing needs.”