FOOD

SAFETY

First

At Five Crowns Marketing our food safety philosophy is simple: “We put Food Safety first”. Food safety is the most important priority in every aspect of our operations, from pre-harvest preparations, to crop management, harvesting practices, post-harvest handling, cooling, and shipping.

Crown white

GROWING

Food safety is an integral part of our growing process. Our food safety program begins with internal inspections before the first seed is planted. At the farm-level, all our growers conduct pre-plant assessments of the growing area, perform water tests, and inspect the water source. Throughout the life of the plants, the crop is continually monitored to ensure its ongoing safety.

bee on a flower

HARVESTING

When it is time for harvest, all the fields are inspected by the harvest crew supervisors to ensure there is no source of contamination. Every week the harvesting company provides Food Safety, Employee Safety, and Quality Control training to all their employees. This ensures the proper handling of the produce being picked and the safety of the employees.

COOLING & SHIPPING

Food safety and quality control is the responsibility of all the employees of Five Crowns Marketing, although the burden of food safety and quality control is in the hands of management and supervisors. Once the harvested produce arrives at the cooling facilities, a new aspect of our food safety program begins immediately.
cooling facility

Receiving

At the time of receiving, all the incoming loads are inspected for any food safety or quality issues that could be present. After information has been entered into our computers for traceability and inventory purposes, the product goes through a cooling process either by hydro-vacuum, hydro-showers, ice injection, or forced air cooling. All stages of cooling are checked daily to verify that proper food safety procedures are in place. Once the product has met the proper storage temperature it is stored until it is ready to be shipped.
forklift lifitng boxes of cantaloupe

Loading

Prior to loading, the forklift operator will inspect the out-going truck for any signs of food safety-related issues that could pose a risk to product being shipped. The loader will then select product from our cooled storage racks, following loading instructions and the company’s first in, first out policy.

Hazard Control Program

Five Crowns Marketing has established a Hazard Control Program to institute a proactive food safety system for all operations, whereby any potential product hazards are anticipated and controlled from product reception through distribution. All Five Crowns operations are audited annually by 3rd party companies to ensure that all food safety regulations are being followed and up-to-date.