Vida Fresh's farms in Baja receive government certification for food-safety practices
Vida Fresh's farms in Baja receive government certification for food-safety practices
Vida Fresh Inc., a Los Angeles area-based grower, shipper, importer and exporter of fresh herbs and assorted fruits and vegetables, has received certification for the second successive year from the Mexican government for its food- safety practices on its herb farms in Baja California, Mexico.
According to Gary Thurston, a salesman with the company, Vida Fresh is "leading the charge" to improve food-safety practices on farms in Mexico by complying with the certification protocol of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture's National Service for Food Quality & Safety, commonly known by its Spanish acronym, SENASICA. The agency has established guidelines for good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices to assure that growing, harvesting, packing and shipping are carried out under sanitary conditions. The protocols are similar but not identical to GAP and GMP protocols in the United States.
"We want to be known for quality, consistency and food safety," Mr. Thurston said, noting that many people are concerned about the safety of produce grown in Mexico. "There are companies that will not buy" Mexican products because they do not think there are sufficient safeguards. But Vida Fresh has invested almost $200,000 in meeting the SENASICA standards and continues to spend about $20,000 a month "just to make sure that everything is up to snuff," he said. SENASICA inspectors "pay us a visit once a month" to assure continued compliance.
Vida Fresh has farming and packing facilities in Pescadero, just north of Cabo San Lucas in southern Baja. The company ships about $10 million worth of fresh-cut herbs a year. In addition, "We have a $5 million [certified] organic vegetable program" that includes organically grown fresh herbs, he said.
The products are shipped primarily in the "Tropical" label. The company has been in the business of importing produce from Baja for about 15 years and has been operating under the Vida Fresh name since 2000, Mr. Thurston said.
To comply with SENASICA's rigid requirements for certification, Vida Fresh has implemented a wide assortment of food-safety practices that many people might be surprised to see at a facility in Mexico, he said. As an example, employees at the packing facility "have to put their shoes in an iodine solution to kill the bacteria, and have to wash their hands" and put on hair nets and masks before entering the facility.
The entire facility has been screened off to make sure that "there is no infiltration from pests," he said. Water- quality standards are another important requirement.
Vida Fresh grows and markets about 14 different varieties of conventionally grown herbs and six varieties of organically grown herbs. The primary focus is on basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage, but "we do have some of the minor herbs" such as savory and sorrel, he said.
According to Gary Thurston, a salesman with the company, Vida Fresh is "leading the charge" to improve food-safety practices on farms in Mexico by complying with the certification protocol of the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture's National Service for Food Quality & Safety, commonly known by its Spanish acronym, SENASICA. The agency has established guidelines for good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices to assure that growing, harvesting, packing and shipping are carried out under sanitary conditions. The protocols are similar but not identical to GAP and GMP protocols in the United States.
"We want to be known for quality, consistency and food safety," Mr. Thurston said, noting that many people are concerned about the safety of produce grown in Mexico. "There are companies that will not buy" Mexican products because they do not think there are sufficient safeguards. But Vida Fresh has invested almost $200,000 in meeting the SENASICA standards and continues to spend about $20,000 a month "just to make sure that everything is up to snuff," he said. SENASICA inspectors "pay us a visit once a month" to assure continued compliance.
Vida Fresh has farming and packing facilities in Pescadero, just north of Cabo San Lucas in southern Baja. The company ships about $10 million worth of fresh-cut herbs a year. In addition, "We have a $5 million [certified] organic vegetable program" that includes organically grown fresh herbs, he said.
The products are shipped primarily in the "Tropical" label. The company has been in the business of importing produce from Baja for about 15 years and has been operating under the Vida Fresh name since 2000, Mr. Thurston said.
To comply with SENASICA's rigid requirements for certification, Vida Fresh has implemented a wide assortment of food-safety practices that many people might be surprised to see at a facility in Mexico, he said. As an example, employees at the packing facility "have to put their shoes in an iodine solution to kill the bacteria, and have to wash their hands" and put on hair nets and masks before entering the facility.
The entire facility has been screened off to make sure that "there is no infiltration from pests," he said. Water- quality standards are another important requirement.
Vida Fresh grows and markets about 14 different varieties of conventionally grown herbs and six varieties of organically grown herbs. The primary focus is on basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage, but "we do have some of the minor herbs" such as savory and sorrel, he said.
