Safety and Quality
Quality From The Ground Up
At Christopher Ranch, food safety is of paramount importance, and we work continuously to improve and maintain high standards of quality and sanitation in our growing, processing and packing facilities. We are committed to giving our customers the best - and safest - products possible by following strict guidelines to ensure “quality from the ground up”. We keep food safety in mind so you don’t have to!
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Good Manufacturing Practices are FDA guidelines promulgated under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and all state statutes and regulations. Christopher Ranch guarantees that all fresh packed, peeled, processed and roasted garlic products shall be manufactured in accordance with all current GMP. USDA/ FDA agents also conduct Phytosanitary inspections onsite to insure compliance with standards and regulations.
Third Party Audits / HACCP
Christopher Ranch has a comprehensive Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Program (HACCP) in place to maintain the highest food safety standards possible. To guarantee those safety standards, our sitewide HACCP certifications are performed by Primus Labs of Santa Maria, CA, and Silliker, Inc., Homewood, IL.
Primus defines HACCP as “a preventative system of hazard control. It is a common sense, risk-based approach designed to establish strategies to prevent, eliminate or reduce the occurrence of food contamination. The system requires control over all aspects of a food production operation. The raw material, the process, the environment, personnel, storage and distribution are all factors that are considered.”
Christopher Ranch consistently earns “EXCELLENT” ratings from Primus Labs and Silliker after all detailed audits of our Good Manufacturing Practices, General File Requirements and our HACCP Program. To view our audit results online at www.primuslabs.com or www.silliker.com Contact jcodiga@christopherranch.com for access info.
Traceability
All harvested products are tagged with lot codes to indicate field location, pack dates and production line identification so that products can be traced from seed to shipping as quickly as possible. In offering fully traceable stock we also guarantee consistent quality and complete safety.
Pesticide Residue Free
To meet the demand for safe clean, healthy produce, Christopher Ranch’s fresh bulk, California Garlic is tested and certified “Nutriclean Pesticide Residue Free” by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS.)
Kosher Certification
Christopher Ranch’s Processed, Whole Peeled and Roasted products are certified Kosher by Organized Kashrus Laboratories (O.K. Labs). Kosher food is best defined as pure and ritually proper to eat, and the laws of kosher food have been observed for over 3,300 years.
O.K. Labs conducts comprehensive annual inspections to make sure our products and ingredients comply with the intricate set of laws that govern kosher foods. Proper implementation of these rules is achieved only by close consultation with a Kashrus expert who examines our processing plants, warehouses, production records, work flow charts, ingredients and the ingredient certificates from our suppliers. O.K. Labs also follows up with periodic inspections at Christopher Ranch to insure our certification. For more information on Organized Kashrus Laboratories, contact www.ok.org
Genetically Modified Organisms
Christopher Ranch currently uses no genetically modified organisms in any garlic which is grown, harvested or processed at our facilities. Also, all ingredients that we purchase and use in our processes are GMO free.
