Packing House Program

A food safety program is in place at the packing houses, receiving stations and storage facilities. The implementation of this program began in 2005 and since then it has been continually improving. More recently, in September 2015, the facility groups went through a certification audit against the CanadaGAP Food Safety Program standard.

The CanadaGAP Food Safety Program was designed for companies like BC Tree Fruits who implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and HACCP in their production, packing and storage operations. It is annually revised by the horticultural industry to ensure a practical approach to implementing these practices. In addition it is reviewed for technical soundness by Canadian government officials.

The packing houses continue to successfully maintain our CanadaGAP Option C certification. This level of certification meets international benchmarking requirements, is Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized, and, as of this year, is formally recognized by the Canadian Government. Achieving and maintaining this designation assures to our buyers that we are committed to producing and packing a safe quality product.