The food storage business has a long history of accommodating whichever suppliers are in fashion. For decades, that meant safely storing bulk food items with a longer shelf life — canned and processed foods, for example.
Organic food products are a more recent trend. For a market accustomed to readily accessible food items, that’s a challenge. But when done right, the payoff for consumers and food manufacturers can be significant.
The Importance of Getting It Right
As a category type of food, organic products can be tricky for storage companies that lack the expertise to handle them appropriately. For starters, the organic label indicates the product was sourced and handled in a very specific way. To deviate from those standards is to nullify the claim of being organic.
More importantly, consumers must be able to trust that storage companies are doing everything they can to comply with strict organic standards. At PacMoore, we go to great lengths to ensure that your organic food products are properly handled and stored.
What Goes Into Proper Organic Food Storage?
You know that organic foods must meet rigorous standards for sourcing, but there are many other criteria that come into play for handling and storage. Here are just a few key considerations we take into account at PacMoore.
- Certification — First and foremost, any facility that handles organic food products should be certified as such. Without meeting the standards for certification, all other considerations fall short.
- Time — Longevity standards are different for organic foods compared with processed products. That’s not to say products have to move immediately, but a handler must be well-versed in shelf-life best practices.
- Tracking — Whatever your food product, proper tracking is crucial. But the “first in, first out” mantra is even more important for organic foods. As such, food products must be properly labeled and monitored by way of a comprehensive tracking system. Additionally, traceability and accurate record keeping is essential or even products that are fully organic can be questioned and even disallowed without proof.
- Temperature — Temperature standards apply to all food products, not just organics. But because they don’t have the same preservative safeguards as other foods, organic food products tend to be more sensitive to fluctuations in temperature. The storage temperature should be consistent and always top of mind.
- Separation — Storage standards for organic food are very strict, to the point that individual ingredients cannot always be stored in the vicinity of other products. A facility that handles organic foods must have the capacity to keep them isolated from other foods, not only for the raw materials but the finished products as well
- Inspections — The inspection process for organic foods can be more demanding than for traditional food products. A food handling and storage facility should always be prepared to pass rigorous inspections at any time.
- Cleaning – extreme care must be given to clean the entire area inside and around each piece of equipment used in an organic processing run prior to the commencement of the run. Additionally, only organic approved chemicals can be used. For instance, quaternary ammonium is not allowed.
- Training – on an ongoing basis and as new projects develop every employees involved in the handling and processing of organic products must be trained on organic procedures including a review of the organizations Organic Compliance Plan
What PacMoore Can Do for You
Storing and distributing organic food products is a heavy lift for any supplier. But thanks to our expertise and resources, PacMoore is more than equal to the challenge. We abide by the highest industry standards for organic foods, specialty foods and all other products. Contact us today to learn what we can do for you.
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