Food Safety & Berries | Wish Farms Florida Berry Grower

Food Safety

Food Safety

“Our #1 priority is food safety. I take our berries home to share with my loved ones, so I’m treating you and your family like mine. Our rigorous food safety standards are adhered to across all commodities and growing regions. Every precaution is taken to maintain the highest integrity and safety of our berries,” Gary Wishnatzki, 3rd Generation Owner of Wish Farms.

Food Safety Aligned with Technology

The enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) revamps old regulations from being reactionary to preventive. We are dedicated to leading the charge in food safety innovation. 

Utilizing the Highland Hub software, we now have “Live Food Safety”. Growers document field applications, pre-harvest inspections and much more to show compliance with FSMA and GFSI requirements. Our Facilities utilize the same software to document temperatures, sanitation and all necessary food safety checks to verify a “clean” supply chain. We are also able to complete Internal Audits utilizing the software. This serves as an additional check on ensuring best practices are being followed.

Traceability

Wish Farms is compliant with the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) requirements. We implement case-level electronic traceability across all four berries. We have gone above and beyond this industry-driven standard and developed a patented traceability system to achieve item-level produce traceability. 

Independent Audits

All of our operations, from farms to facilities, complete a third-party audit to Global Food Safety Initiatives (GFSI) Standards. This is the same standard that is not only followed in the United States, but around the world.

Wish Farms’ Food Safety Program includes certification by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the highest level in food safety management systems, covering both GAP and GMP. The Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) includes a series of food safety checkpoints covering farm production and post-production. In addition, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) covers food safety procedures in our warehouse and coolers.

Policy

All of our growers are under contractual agreement to adhere to the Wish Farms Food Safety Program. Our grower partners operate independently and are therefore responsible for adhering to federal, state and local food safety regulations. Even though they maintain independence, the Wish Farms team provides support and guidance.

Our Food Safety Team provides ongoing education to growers throughout the season in addition to pre and post harvest. Food Safety staff is onsite at farms during the season to ensure policies are being followed and are readily available to address any non-compliant issues quickly and effectively. Utilizing the Highland Hub program, we can best assist them in compliance and address issues in real time. Each grower is aware that non-compliance can lead to disassociation from Wish Farms.

 

 

Pesticides: Debunking the EWG’s “Dirty Dozen”

There is a lot of misinformation about pesticide residues circulating on the internet. We believe science should guide your decision, not fear.

Our food safety team tests MRL (Maximum Residue Limits) and reviews spray records to verify that our berries meet US and Canadian law. The likelihood of there being any residues remaining on your berries are unlikely. Results are read in parts per million, and typically residues are 95% below the legal limit.

All active ingredients are EPA registered. Re-entry and pre-harvest intervals are strictly adhered to by our growers. Re-entry intervals protect workers, and pre-harvest intervals protect consumers.  

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program (PDP) and the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) residue sampling program both found that more than 99% of the produce sampled had residues far below Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety levels, if present at all. The USDA stated in their report summary: “Based on the PDP data, consumers can feel confident about eating a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.”

An analysis conducted by toxicologists with the University of California’s Personal Chemical Exposure Program found a child could eat hundreds to thousands of servings of a fruit or vegetable in a day and still not have any health effects from residues. 

For consumers who may still be concerned about residues, the FDA says washing your produce under running tap water often removes or eliminates any residues on organic and conventionally grown produce that may be present.

Apeel

Recently, we have received a lot of inquiries about a product called “Apeel”. Consumers have been wondering if we used this product on our berries. We do not.

From Apeel’s company website, it is a “plant-based protection that helps the produce you love last longer”. The product is for use on fruits with thick skin or peels like oranges, apples, mangos, limes, lemons and cucumbers.

For more information about Apeel, click here to visit their website.