We are Committed to Food Safety
At Eatmore Sprouts, we take food safety very seriously. We continue to invest our time, energy, finances, and personal commitment into the operation and ongoing improvement of our Food Safety Plan.
Our Food Safety Plan was created based on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Code of Practice for the Hygienic Production of Sprouted Seeds and the Food Safety Guidance for Sprout Manufacturers: First Edition.
We are routinely inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, and third party auditors as a food processor.
Every food commodity has its own particular areas where special attention is required for production of safe foods for the consumer. In the case of sprouts, that means starting with the seeds themselves.
We buy only certified organic seeds from approved suppliers. Every bag of seed is inspected prior to use in our facility. Seed inspection includes bacterial pathogen testing at a certified third party laboratory. We only accept the very best seeds!
Once we sprout the seeds, every batch of sprouts is tested again, through a third party laboratory, for Salmonella and Ecoli 0157 H7. No sprout leaves our facility until we get a clear result from the lab! Our testing program includes seed, spent irrigation water, bulk samples and our compost. We take every measure possible to control the handling and process parameters right through to deliver consistent quality to our valued customers.
Click here to read more about sprouts, health and safety.
Recommended ways to handle sprouts prior to consumption:
- Keep sprouts refrigerated at 0 – 4° C
- Protect sprouts from sources of contamination during storage
- Prevent drying by keeping sprouts covered or contained
- Always wash hands before handling food
- Rinse sprouts with clean cool water before eating them
- Our sprouts should last for 8-14 days from the day of packing, but like all fresh produce, shelf life will vary depending on storage conditions. We encorage people to eat quickly and buy often!
- Discard sprouts that are no longer fresh and crisp
- We currently mark our sprouts with the Julian Calander. In other words….. the day in the year that it was harvested and packaged is the lot code on our package
Certified Organic!
You want to know how your food was grown – that’s why we are third party Certified Organic by Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS#16-084) in accordance with the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia (COABC). Growing certified organic sprouts also means we are GMO Free.
In our sprout production and in our very small market garden, we use ecologically-conscious inputs and soil-building organic farming methods to produce healthy and nutritious sprouts and veggies.
Why Organic!
Organic Production:
- mitigates climate change better than any other system of agriculture
- reduces the carbon footprint (prairie research has shown by not using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, organic farming systems are 50% more energy efficient than their mainstream counterparts)
- helps build the rural and urban agriculture community
- creates farming opportunities and jobs
- stimulates local economies
- reduces everyone’s exposure to pesticides
- helps deliver local nutrient fresh food which improves the overall health of the community
Related Links
Pacific Agricultural Certification Society – www.pacscertifiedorganic.ca
Certified Organic Associations of BC – www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca
GMOs? You won’t find ‘em here…
We believe that you have a right to know about where your food comes from. That’s why we stick to seed producers we know. We shop the world to find seed suppliers who are certified organic and practicing sustainable agriculture.
Related Links
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network – www.cban.ca
Saskatchewan Organic Directorate Organic Agriculture Protection Fund – www.saskorganic.com/oapf/
