At South Alder Farms, Food Safety has always been a top priority and we have numerous food safety systems in effect.
We are a registered establishment with CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and are also licenced under the Safe Food for Canadians Act. We achieved HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) registration with CFIA over a decade ago. Our IQF (Frozen) Production Facility is SQF Level 2 Certified. SQF (Safe Quality Food) is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked food safety standard. Products produced under the SQF Code certification are highly sought after in global markets and by major retailers. We are also Kosher certified.
All fresh blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and garlic shipped through South Alder Farms are Canada GAP certified. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is a food safety program that is recognized by the Global Foods Safety Initiative (GFSI). GAP involves general steps, measures, and procedures that control the operational conditions within a production and packing facility allowing for conditions that are favorable to the production of safe food. GAP’s are designed to help implement effective food safety procedures within fresh produce operations. As part of the Canada GAP program, South Alder Farms goes through a complete third party audit every year. This audit includes all aspects of the product chain including growing, harvesting, packing, and distribution. Our farm located in Lynden, Washington, USA also undergoes a Global GAP audit every year.
With all our fresh berries grown, packed, and distributed following the GAP program and all of our IQF berries produced in compliance with SQF Level 2 certification, we are pleased to report that South Alder Farms adheres to the highest industry standards.