Quality Control

With summer weather seemingly in full swing here in Michigan, it’s easy to spend many hours hiding out from the heat in air conditioning and shade. It’s also easy to forego cooking and opt for a lighter fare – say salad. It seems salads and summer are a perfect match.

But keeping those salads crisp and safe takes a lot more than simply keeping it cool. The whole cold chain – from field to kitchen table – is an important part of keeping all fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in top condition.

As I heard repeated while working on my story about cold chain management, a lot of the issues come from the transportation end. This is not necessarily the product sitting on the refrigerated truck. Transportation issues include the handling of the produce as it is handed from one party to the other. And, making sure everyone – from the driver to the person stocking the shelves – is aware of the special needs of fresh-cut produce seems a daunting task.

To train ones own staff to make sure product is held at the optimum temperature is one thing, but to make sure once it leaves the plant it is kept where it needs to be is much more difficult. When doing interviews for the story, I spoke with people about the importance of forming partnerships. This seemed to be the No. 1 response for how to make sure the cold chain is kept intact. When processors work closely with trucking companies and retailers or foodservice personnel, they are better able to make sure their product is in the best hands.

One way to do this is for processors to provide materials to teach retailers how to best handle their products. This can include books on food safety, laminated cards with quick tips for storing fresh-cut produce and tips to keep the amount of shrink down. Maybe it even involves seminars and work groups on food safety and quality control.

I’ve heard that some processors work with a group of produce managers from some of the different retail chains and train them on fresh-cut produce. Those produce managers can then act as the designated trainers for those retailers. Train the trainers.

Because not only is this a quality issue for the retailer, it’s a brand issue for the processor. If consumers are not happy with the quality of a product, they will stop buying it. And those consumers who are more vocal will spread the word and even complain to the retailer. This can lead to a whole new set of issues. Not only will the processor then be trying to correct an issue with its cold chain, the processor will be trying to gain back its foothold in the market.

There are many strategies for quality control and many ways to keep your produce fresh and safe. And each person working with fresh-cut produce may have found a strategy that works – and works well.

And maybe you are already doing something innovative. I’d love to hear what else you are doing to ensure the quality of your fresh-cut produce or the fresh-cut produce you use or sell. So, whether you’re a retailer, a chef, a processor or anyone working with fresh-cut produce, please e-mail me at [email protected] and share your quality control strategies.



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