Oregon-based Reser’s Fine Foods (www.resers.com) embraced the concept of sustainability long before the term became a consumer and industry buzzword. The quality assurance team plays an essential role in identifying local sources of major food ingredients and in helping farms become qualified as approved suppliers.
Benefits of sourcing locally
Reser’s is a major vegetable processor and has established strong vendor relationships with cabbage and potato growers located just miles from our manufacturing plants. This local sourcing is a major contributor to our success. It gives us access to quality vegetables grown just for us, which improves our finished products.
For example, most people do not know that there are many hundreds of types of cabbage seed. By partnering with local farmers, we are able to select only the varieties we know have a high yield and desirable color and flavor characteristics. This improves both the marketability and shelf life of coleslaw products, and has substantially increased our business.
A similar program for potatoes resulted in QA approval of just a few potato varieties from the many thousands available. As a result, we’ve enjoyed a quality improvement in all potato products, including potato salads, mashed potatoes, and hash browns.
From lab to field
The Reser’s QA team is integral in monitoring local fields and participating in crop development. This close partnership also supports neighboring farmers and reduces our environmental impact. Consumers are becoming familiar with the concept of ''food miles,'' or the distance a food has traveled prior to consumption. Environmentally savvy consumers appreciate knowing their food is produced nearby and does not need to be shipped great distances. These consumers look for food manufacturers that share their environmental concerns and values.
QA: leading the charge for good manufacturing practices
As we work closely with growers, we are able to help them establish good agricultural practices (GAPs). Just as food plant workers are trained to follow safe food handling rules called good manufacturing practices (GMPs), farm workers are trained on our GAPs to properly handle produce in the fields and on the farm. There have been many recent and high-profile food poisoning outbreaks from fresh products like spinach, green onions, tomatoes, salad mixes, and others. These fresh vegetables are ready to eat, and our GAP programs are essential in ensuring that ingredients are properly handled and safe. Beyond just product safety, QA team members are trained to encourage farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices. We look to encourage procedures that protect and renew soil fertility, and encourage the use of integrated pest management practices (IPM) that minimize the application of pesticides and other agri-chemicals, ensuring that these are used only when genuinely needed, not just on a scheduled basis. All growers are asked to provide information on their practices, philosophies, and future plans in the area of agricultural sustainability so that we can keep abreast of their progress.
Another sustainability program involves the return of tons of vegetable trimmings to livestock operations, again nearby and within our own county. This provides a nutritious feed supplement, primarily to cattle feedlot operations. Our yields on produce average about 70%, meaning that each day we generate many thousands of pounds of potato peels and leafy trim from cabbage and celery. QA works to keep this vegetable material clean, in good condition, and palatable to the animals, and because of this, the material is highly appreciated by the local farmers that receive it.
Environmental stewardship and innovation
Our quality assurance team is proud to use their technical capabilities to evaluate biodegradable packaging, achieve organic certification, support recycling programs, and promote environmental stewardship in our plants’ immediate vicinity. We believe that this is the right way to conduct business, benefiting us today, while allowing future generations the same opportunities that we enjoy. This is the true definition of sustainability.
About the Author
Steve Loehndorf is technical director of Reser’s Fine Foods based in Oregon. Reser’s employs more than 40 QA professionals with backgrounds in microbiology, food science, chemistry, sanitation, and culinary arts. Steve also serves as technical chairman of the Refrigerated Foods Association. He has 30 years of experience in developing food safety and quality assurance programs for a wide variety of chilled foods, and is a frequent speaker at industry events. Steve holds a master of sciences degree in food science and microbiology from the University of Illinois, is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists, and is a member of the International Association for Food Protection. He can be reached at SteveL@Resers.com.
