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Farming
Field selection is the first step in the process of growing a crop. Adjacent land use, land and crop history,
topography, availability of clean water and soil type all play an important role in farming. A detailed
risk assessment is performed before any Ocean Mist Farms crops are planted.
Manure is not used as a soil amendment in the growing of any of our crops. A clean water source is verified through routine
testing by an independent third-party laboratory.
During cultivation, our employees follow good hygiene practices and make sure all equipment used in the
process is clean and well maintained. Employees are trained in food safety and required to follow
Good Agricultural Practices. We perform continuous internal
audits and seasonal, third-party audits to
ensure the goals of the food safety program are achieved.
Integrated Pest Management
This is a necessary aspect of all agriculture. We are diligent in monitoring insects and
weeds and minimize the use of pesticides. All pesticide applications are made in accordance
with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Many of our crops are tested for
pesticide residues by a third party laboratory.
Our field professionals are all licensed Pest Control Advisors (PCAs) by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Our PCAs use a variety of techniques to control the variety of pests that can damage our crops. Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) is a pest-control strategy that uses biological controls (like lady bugs), monitoring
(using traps and field counts), habitat manipulation (flower plantings that attract beneficial insects)
and weed clearing. We use pesticides only after monitoring suggests they are needed to control target
organisms. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risk to human
health, beneficial insects, other wildlife in the area and the environment.
Harvesting
All our harvest operations are conducted under the
Good Agricultural Practices. Training is
provided to all personnel in worker health and hygiene, proper hand washing, prevention of
cross contamination, and food security. Clean toilet facilities are provided and field
management pay close attention to field
sanitation and employee practices.
Ocean Mist Quality Assurance
Known for high-quality product,
Ocean Mist Farms has a unique and methodical approach to
Quality Assurance that provides our customers with a consistent level of premium product
year-round. Our dedicated team of experts applies their strict expectations through the
entire production chain, from field to the cooling process. The Ocean Mist
Quality Assurance program entails a three-step process of measuring, verifying and
enforcing in-house product specifications for all Ocean Mist brand products that
meet or exceed USDA quality standards.
Ocean Mist quality standards are enforced at five levels of the production chain:
- Grower
- Harvesting Manager
- Crew Supervisor
- Crew Foreman
- Quality Assurance Inspector
With this comprehensive approach of superior standards, Ocean Mist Farms is able to deliver
the top quality product that has become our reputation.
Product Traceability
Tracing product back to its source is an integral part of Ocean Mist Farms’ food-safety
program. Our trace back system allows us to keep an accurate inventory and to trace product back
not only to the specific lot on a ranch, but also to the individual responsible for
packing the product into the carton.
Processing
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) are applied to our
processing operations. All our employees are well trained in GMP/HACCP and follow good hygiene practices. Our
facilities and equipment are subject to rigorous sanitation protocols on a daily basis. Verification of these
sanitation procedures is conducted through our Environmental Monitoring Program, which utilizes visual
inspections, rapid detection (ATP) and other methods to ensure equipment is clean before production starts.
Our Preventative Maintenance Program, Integrated Pest Management Program and Employee Education Program are
just a few other programs that help us produce a top quality, safe and wholesome product.
Cooling
Keeping fresh vegetables cold is key to quality as well as safety. We call this process the “cold
chain” and monitor every link of that chain, from field to truck. Our policy is to move
produce from field to cooler within four hours after it is harvested. We then cool the produce by
the best method appropriate for each individual crop.
After the vegetables are cooled, they are moved into our state-of-the-art cold rooms, which are held at an
average of 34°F to keep the products fresh. The cold rooms are maintained in a clean and ready state. Each
room has alarms to notify us, should the temperature rise.
We follow the practice of first in, first out (FIFO). Our products move quickly out of the cold rooms to
supermarkets and distribution centers. Should product remain in cold storage for more than five days or not
meet our quality standards, it is either donated or dumped. Computer-generated aging reports are available to
our sales staff at all times.
Personal sanitation and hygiene is essential in the cooler. Everyone in the cooler, including inspectors, is
required to wear disposable gloves before handling any product.
We keep the cooling facilities clean and pest free. We even use electric forklifts, so we won’t have
exhaust fumes in our coolers.
All equipment is monitored and inspected on a regular basis. Only potable water is used for product cooling.
Transportation
With the exception of some air deliveries, our products move to distribution centers and supermarkets in
refrigerated trucks. We inspect the trailers before we allow our products to be loaded. In fact, we will
not load trailers that don’t meet our temperature requirements or have any signs of contamination.
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