U.S – Veg-Fresh Farms, a third-generation, family-run agribusiness farm has been awarded “Supplier of the Year” by two major national restaurant chains, and also received a phenomenal score of 99% after an unannounced, 3-day long audit by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF).
Veg-Fresh Farms is, currently providing fresh produce to national food service chains and national retailers under the Veg-Fresh Farms, Crystal Cove Berry Farms, and Good Life Organic labels.
“These accomplishments are a direct by-product of our customer-first mindset. Ensuring that our facility and our staff are always best-in-class in regards to food safety, quality, and customer service is of upmost importance, and we are proud to share our virtually perfect SQF score and customer-awarded accolades,” said Mark Widder, General Partner of Veg-Fresh Farms.
SQF scores are graded on the company’s ability to meet or exceed the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) commodity specifications. Every aspect is observed, from food handling, produce quality, regulatory and legal standards, and detailed inspection of proper protocols for any events that may arise regarding food safety.
Commenting on the award, Veg-Fresh Farm’s General Manager, Bob Wright, noted that the 99% SQF score validates the years of preparation and hard work the farm has put forth into its food safety processes.
“Since our facility change in 2014, we have put forth an extensive amount of effort in making quality assurance a part of the Veg-Fresh Farms culture; where any member of our team can talk of our food safety standards with confidence and point to the various levels of accountability we have placed in every aspect of our facility, team, and products,” he said.
On top of their 99% score, Veg-Fresh has also received recognition as “Supplier of the Year” from two major national restaurant chains this past fall.
“We are humbly honored to be recognized by two of our long-standing customers as ‘Supplier of the Year’,” said Mark.
He pointed out that despite the challenges faced by the industry in both the previous year and 2021, the farm remained focused on delivering above and beyond the scope of service that their customers expect.
“We value these partnerships immensely and we know that when we do our best to hold up our end of the supply chain, everyone wins,” he added.
In 2020, the farm partnered with Doc’s Organics, a family owned Organic citrus packing facility which operates out of Imperial County, California. This exclusive partnership between two family-owned businesses that share similar values and a passion for produce enabled Veg-Fresh to provide their customers with high-quality organic citrus.
Veg-Fresh Farms also partnered with Redlands Foothill Groves, an iconic local citrus grower owned and operated by the growers themselves. Redlands Foothill Groves is the only citrus packing house that still operates to this day within San Bernardino County.
Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Safety Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food safety, quality and compliance. SUBSCRIBE HERE
