Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — One Harvest, Australia’s leading leafy greens and fresh-cut produce supplier, announced installation of SmartWash Solutions’ comprehensive food safety program throughout their Australian operations. This program includes utilization of process control systems, application of the SmartWash® Organic food wash enhancer, and implementation of the highest degree of calibration available in the industry.
“One Harvest has been at the forefront of produce industry innovation for over 90 years,” said Anina Immelman, Head of Technical at One Harvest Australia. “The SmartWash Solutionsprocess control system is enhancing our ability to ensure security and food safety as we grow, process, and supply our products all year round. By investing in this technology, we are supporting our customers in supplying high quality, delicious, and safe Australian produce to their consumers.”
SmartWash Solutionsprovides an integrated package of process control equipment, organic and conventional food wash enhancers, data management, precise calibration with known solutions, and a customer service partnership that together mitigate cross contamination, improve wash line efficiency, and save time and money.
After developing a validation protocol and conducting extensive testing at One Harvest’s Perth produce processing facility, SmartWash Solutions proved to be a superior alternative to PAA (peracetic acid) in producing high-quality, fresh-cut products that exceed all food safety standards. “SmartWash provided substantial improvements in the quality of our finished product, including the potential to significantly extend shelf life. Additionally, our validation protocol showed the microbial mitigation results we expected. Overall, we found many strong reasons to convert from PAA to SmartWash coupled with chlorine, which set up a win-win scenario for us, our customers and the consumers,” Immelman added.
SmartWash Solutions overcame travel and shipping restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent supply chain delays, and ensure installation, training and operation of the SmartWash system was uninterrupted. “Exceptional customer service is the essence of SmartWash, and we have had many chances to prove this during the past year and a half. At one point, we sent our products to Australia via air freight, and instead of travelling to the site, we deployed a 24-7 remote training and operations team,” said Steven Swarts, Director of Business Development at SmartWash Solutions. “Between video conferencing and our access to One Harvest’s real-time data feed, we have been able to maintain constant communications and operational integrity.”
“We expect to complete installation of SmartWash systems at our remaining facilities by the end of August. After our conclusive test results and the potential to increase our operational efficiencies, it was an easy decision to replace all of our PAA lines with SmartWash,” said Stuart Mayhew, General Manager of Engineering & Technology at One Harvest.
“One Harvest is now our largest customer outside of the United States, and we continue to expand across the globe as growers and processors see the advantages of SmartWash in food safety efficacy, process control improvement and enhanced product quality,” concluded Swarts.
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About SmartWash Solutions®:
SmartWash Solutions is an industry leader in food safety technology, helping processing plants around the world maximize food safety, achieve FSMA compliance, control wash water chemistry, track wash line efficiency, prevent food-borne outbreaks and save money. Visit smartwashsolutions.com or call (831) 676-9750 for more information.
