MIAMI – Continental Fresh LLC, a leading importer of offshore produce based in Coconut Grove, Fla., announced that it has fully implemented a case-level labeling and traceability system. The company will also apply Produce Traceability Initiative-compliant labels on each of its Atlas Fresh cucumber and winter squash cases – something that no one else in the industry is doing.
Continental Fresh LLC’s commitment to traceability and food safety is reconfirmed with the recent outbreak of salmonella on cucumbers from Mexico, as well as the announcement by the FDA of regulations on produce safety, foreign supplier and third-party audits that make up the Food Safety Modernization Act.
“We expect to be the only offshore cucumber importers in the country to have PTI case-level tagging originating at our farms in Honduras,” said Albert Perez, president of Continental Fresh LLC. “We are also implementing this on all of our retail and process butternut and spaghetti squashes.”
Perez added, “Honduran cucumbers have come a long way in terms quality and consistency. Customers have put great faith in our programs and each year more of the needs of the east coast are met by our products. As a leader in the import of Honduran vegetables, we at Continental Fresh LLC hope that others follow our initiative in making it the premium choice in food safety.”
The import season for Honduran cucumbers runs from late December until mid-March. Butternut and Spaghetti squashes are available from January through April.
For more information about Continental Fresh LLC, please visit www.continentalfresh.com.
About Continental Fresh, LLC
Continental Fresh LLC imports the freshest produce and maintains the highest standards of reliability, transparency and integrity while creating successful grower/buyer connections. The company specializes in tropical imports from Latin America to retail, foodservice and wholesale customers in the US market. For over five years, Continental Fresh has been connecting dependable growers with reputable buyers for years, and each employee has over 20 years’ experience in the import business. Continental Fresh LLC owner Albert Perez founded LIFO Missions, which develops self-help projects in remote regions of the Dominican Republic. Since 1985, it has helped some of the poorest people improve their living conditions and consequently, their education, health and future prospects. LIFO Missions supports poor villages with materials and volunteers to provide clean running water where it has never been available.
Source: Continental Fresh, LLC