Bonipak - Food Safety

OFFICE 805 925 2478
SALES 805 925 2585
BONIPAK PRODUCE INC
P.O. Box 5079
1850 W STOWELL ROAD
SANTA MARIA
CALIFORNIA
93456




			Food safety concerns have always been a top priority at Bonipak. That's why we have a comprehensive program in place, from growing, to packing, to processing, to shipping. Our duty as a food supplier is to ensure our customers that Bonipak products are always safe, wholesome and of the highest quality. We attribute much of our successful food safety program to our employees. They are all aware of food safety issues and therefore conduct themselves and their work ethic with this in mind. Whether it's a tractor driver in the field, a worker in the cooling facility or a line person in the processing facility, everyone at Bonipak has great pride in keeping our products food safe.
	third party certified

			With annual audits of the entire supply-chain operation, Bonipak is third-party certified by PrimusLabs.com. Primus offers internet access to Bonipak accounts for potential customers so they may review various audits in their evaluation process. Audits of the ranches, harvesters, cooler, and processing plant include inspections for employee hygiene, cleanliness, record keeping, and policies. Accordingly, Bonipak is scored from the results gathered. At all times, Bonipak has been rated with exemplary marks.
	field level food safety program
			Along with a comprehensive food safety program on Bonipak facilities, the same scrutiny is applied at the field level. Bonipak has a detailed training program to educate all personnel on food safety policies. Training is done by crew foremen and food safety management to ensure a complete understanding of our programs. Daily inspections of the harvest crews and equipment are conducted to ensure the quality of work completed meets Bonipak standards. Routine inspections are performed to ensure that all food safety, personnel hygiene, and sanitation policies are followed. Random, sealed samples are taken prior to harvest and tested for pesticide residue. The Leafy Green Marketing Agreement was an industry-wide response to the E. Coli outbreak in Salinas, CA, in 2006. The marketing agreement was developed by the industry itself and approved by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), as a means of voluntarily self-regulating safety practices for leafy greens grown in California. An unprecedented commitment to food safety, the agreement enforces mandatory safety standards which are audited by government inspectors. Handlers agree to the certification of safe handling, shipment and sale of leafy green products to consumers. Bonipak sits on the Executive Board and the Advisory Board of the Leafy Green Marketing Agreement, and is one of several companies that were instrumental in formation of the agreement.
	traceability of all commodities
			A unique capability at Bonipak is our ability to trace any commodity we pack back to the original plot of ground where it was grown. Many of our competitors are unable to make this claim. All Bonipak ranches and outside growers have plot numbers assigned. Before any commodity can enter Bonipak's facility it must be bar-coded. On the bar-code is the plot number, the ranch, the grower, the date, the harvest crew and the commodity. This bar-coding follows each product through cooling, storage and shipping. At any time, we are able to determine where any product went and from where it originally came. Having control over the entire supply-chain process enables Bonipak to completely monitor the food safety process like few other companies.

	in-house laboratory
			Having laboratory capabilities on-site is another valuable asset at Bonipak. Soils from all growing areas are tested for nutrient levels, pH and salt content before any crop is planted. Fertilizer decisions are based upon "next-day" lab analysis, and pesticide use is done responsibly after data examination. At Bonipak we are always looking at maximizing the quality of the ground. It is an ever-evolving testing and learning process. Soil management is completely different than it was 10-15 years ago. Through lab analysis and constantly re-educating ourselves, quality and yield are much better today than they have ever been.