Some Pacific Northwest tree fruit packers are complying with as many as 11 food safety programs, a recent survey by the Northwest Horticultural Council shows, and a produce industry spokesperson says the requirements may be motivated more by profit for the certifiers than for genuine food-safety concerns. In addition to being audited for Primus Labs, HACCP, SQF, USDA-GHP, and GlobalGAP, a packer may undergo audits specifically for retail customers such as Tesco, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Costco, or Supervalu. Debbie Carter, technical issues manager at the Hort Council, said the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the various audits are not […]