Growcom congratulates apple growers, Dianne, Luciano and John Mattiazzi and staff at Lerinda Farms near Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt for receiving a global quality achievement award from the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).
Lerinda Pty Ltd has been involved with the SQF program since its inception in 1999.
The SQF program was introduced to farms across Australia as a method of controlling food quality and safety through validation and verification.
Dianne Mattiazzi developed the farm’s comprehensive manual which covers all growing, harvesting and packing shed processes, from the orchard to despatch.
In order to gain the necessary certification for the manual, Mrs Mattiazzi had to gain her qualifications as an Associate Facilitator in the HACCP Practitioner Scheme. This is now a requirement for the annual SQF business audit. She must update her accreditation every three years.
The annual SQF business audit takes about six to eight hours. The auditor checks the manual and all associated documentation.
As a Coles supplier, the auditor also needs to check further documentation outside of the SQF code audit.
The farm business has weight checks, fruit quality assessments, fruit shelf life verification and scales must be calibrated annually by an outside body.
The business had to make further procedural changes to meet the code change from SQF2000 to SQF1000.
“These hurdles will be familiar to all growers meeting on-farm practice accreditation requirements,” said Growcom’s Chief Executive Alex Livingstone.
“The general public is unaware of just how much work goes into maintaining food quality on farms.
“Lerinda now carries a Level 3 excellence rating for a comprehensive food safety and quality management system. It is a rating which has been hard won and the Mattiazzis should be justly proud.”
For more information, contact details and photos see the March 2012 issue of Tree Fruit
