B.C. Tree Fruits and the growers it represents are widely recognized as leaders in the area of food safety. In fact, the B.C. Tree Fruits food safety program routinely meets and exceeds produce industry standards as well as those set out by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Food safety starts in the orchard, where growers follow the Integrated Fruit Production Guide (IFP). The IFP Guide was established by the Canadian Horticultural Council, a voluntary, not-for-profit, national association representing all areas of horticulture. It gives high priority to ecologically sound methods of horticultural production that minimize the impact on the environment and protect human health.
B.C. Tree Fruits growers excel in these key food safety areas:
- Water Purity. Not only do most fruit growers in the B.C. interior use less water through smart irrigation and water conservation practices; the water quality is high, with much of the irrigation supply that is channelled into orchards coming straight down from the mountains - from streams, glacial lakes, melting snow-pack, etc. In fruits like apples, which are up to 85% water, you'll taste the difference that clear, fresh mountain water makes!
- Ecologically friendly pest control. Bugs aren't as much of a problem in the B.C. interior as they can be in other fruit-growing areas. For the few pests that there are, an ecosystem-based approach called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses spot-on timing and low-tech methods ("good bugs" like ladybugs and other natural predators; simple mechanical devices like sticky paper) that work well without harming the environment. Likewise, introduction of the Sterile Insect Release (SIR) program has dramatically decreased the use of pest control applications to combat codling moth, the main orchard pest.
Despite its accomplishments in the area of food safety, B.C. Tree Fruits growers and packing organizations are constantly seeking new ways to further enhance the safety of its products and the processes required to pack, preserve, and transport them. Working with the Canadian Horticultural Council, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, and the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, the orchard industry is implementing a comprehensive, gate-to-plate safety food program.
At the heart of this new food safety program is HACCP, or the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. HACCP identifies and assesses any potential hazard involved in the production and processing of food, from the grower (the gate) to the consumer (the plate).
Traceability
As in the area of food safety, B.C. Tree Fruits' growers and packing organizations are constantly seeking new and more efficient ways to track its products. The industry is now working with international organizations to establish industry-wide standards for produce traceability.
The traceability program is working to track the movement of food from production through distribution to consumption. Traceability enables B.C. Tree Fruits to identify via the shipping container where and when fruit was packed, and when it was shipped. This is especially important in the produce industry, where retailers often carry similar products from areas as diverse as Chile, Ontario, and Australia.
B.C. Tree Fruits identifies its products through various means. For example, stickers identifying the grower are attached to bins when they arrive at the packing house. Packing times (within the half hour), dates, and packing locations are marked on the fruit cartons as they're packed. B.C. Brand stickers are placed on each individual fruit sold in bulk, and apple bags are marked with a Universal Product Code - or bar code - to indicate the specific variety and grade. All of these techniques make it easier to identify and track products.
