Dole Fresh Vegetables, a subsidiary of Dole Food Company, Inc., has announced that all four Dole Fresh Vegetables value-added processing facilities; located in Ohio, Arizona, North Carolina, and California, have been certified to the SQF (Safe Quality Food) standard. All facilities received an excellent audit rating.
SQF is an internationally-accepted food safety management system standard benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative.
Dole has earned a reputation of having the highest standards when it comes to food safety and traceability.
"The SQF Program is a leading, global food safety and quality certification program and management system, designed to meet the needs of buyers and suppliers worldwide," stated Mr. Thomas Mack, Vice President, Technical Services, for Dole Fresh Vegetables. "SQF accreditation of our salad operations is another example of Dole Fresh Vegetables' commitment to food safety."
The Program provides independent certification that a supplier's food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations. This enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards, at all levels of the supply chain.
SQF is designed as a food safety program, but it also covers product quality, a feature that is unique to a certification program of this type. Assuring consistent quality and meeting buyer specifications are important aspects of the buyer-supplier relationship. The SQF Program was launched in 1994 in Australia and since 2004 has been administered by the SQF Institute (SQFI), a division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI).
Dole, with 2009 net revenues of $6.8 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
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