Our Operations are Rooted in Food Safety
The Food Safety Department is the foundation of everything we do at DNO Produce and FRESHEALTH. Their role is especially vital in fresh produce processing, where many items are consumed raw and there is no later “kill step” to eliminate harmful pathogens.
This exceptional team oversees critical functions, from maintaining rigorous cleanliness standards to ensuring full product traceability. The department primarily operates through two specialized groups: Quality Assurance and Sanitation. The individuals that make up our team are incredibly hard-working and detail oriented.
Read on to learn more about their imperative place within the larger ecosystem of our company!
The leaders of our Food Safety & Sanitation Departments are some of the best in the business!
From left to right: Steve Lawrence (Regulatory Compliance Coordinator), Alexis Allard (Produce Quality Specialist), Deadra Holloway (Director of Food Safety,) Juana Gonzalez (Supervisor Quality Assurance), and Rosarion Pierre (Sanitation Supervisor).
Sanitation
The sanitation team makes up the bulk of the Food Safety Department… and for good reason! The FRESHEALTH production floor is large and fast-moving, and they’re charged with ensuring the floor remains clean and sanitized at all times. This team works tirelessly, during the day and outside of regular production hours, to ensure our facility is spotless and ready to safely store our RTE (Ready-To-Eat) products.
They meticulously clean and sanitize equipment, production lines, tools, and surfaces, removing debris, residues, and microorganisms that could compromise product safety. Their work requires precision, consistency, and deep knowledge of chemicals, procedures, and regulatory requirements. By creating a clean environment before production even begins, the Sanitation team prevents risks before they have a chance to emerge. Simply put, without sanitation, safe production would not be possible.
“Sanitation is our “reset”. They carry the responsibility of inspecting, cleaning, sanitizing, communicating, verifying, and setting production up for success nightly.”
Although sanitation is largely out of sight due to the overnight shifts, their work is felt. Every department at DNO Produce recognizes that they’re the first line of defense when it comes to food safety, and their ability to communicate potential machine issues and changes is highly valued by our Maintenance Department.
Sanitation has a unique view of the plant when it’s shut down that gives them the ability to spot things that might be overlooked during the day.
Sanitation must also remain flexible and ready to adapt at a moment’s notice, as their work depends on fluctuating production end times. Regardless of how late production runs, they ensure first shift is fully set up and all processing areas are thoroughly cleaned, inspected, and ready to go by morning.
Quality Assurance
Inside FRESHEALTH and DNO operations, the Quality Assurance (QA) team is monitoring everything. They are our “alert system” for food safety. Each QA associate is thoroughly trained so they can coach other associates in correct processes, effectively monitor every item that enters our facility from receiving to processing to shipping, and raise red flags on product concerns when needed.
The Quality Assurance team is sharp. They have to have a solid understanding of every process and operation within DNO Produce. In order to effectively do their job, they must understand best practices and potential causes for concern on the following:
Wash processes
Metal detection
Package integrity
Temperatures
Sanitation effectiveness
Environmental conditions
Employee practices
And all this? It’s just the tip of the iceberg of their day-to-day tasks.
“They are the eyes, ears, and hands of the Food Safety Department.”
A perhaps underappreciated component of the job is the amount of time and attention required to train associates. On top of conducting their own food safety tests and reporting their results, they are responsible for training production, maintenance, and warehouse on best practices, decision making, and risks within their scope of projects to look out for.
Deadra Holloway was eager to sing their praises, saying: “We rely on our QA team for their knowledge in food safety, their observations, and their communication skills. Without their in-depth awareness of the real conditions and situations that occur in a fast paced, ever-changing production environment, the barriers to creating conditions and practices that drive food safety forward would be insurmountable.”
Every associate at DNO Produce and FRESHEALTH outside of the Quality Assurance Department is grateful for our dedicated, quick-thinking QA Technicians. They embody what it means to be a strong company ambassador.