Food Safety

“Valley Select is the only commercial scale germinating facility in the United States,” mentions Ken LaGrande, Valley Select Ingredients CEO. “Our customers have been thrilled with the quality and so are we.”

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Safe Sprouting Certification

Introducing Safe Sprouting

Valley Select Ingredients decided to make the commitment to commercial-grade sprouting and has developed the “Safe Sprouting” protocol and technical food safety program.

Compared to other germinators, our systemized processes offer what brands are looking for – consistency. By utilizing stainless steel vessels, Valley Select Ingredients is able to prevent outside contamination as the internal temperature is brought to 156 degrees through humidified steam. Due to our technologically advanced germination process, the microbial cell count is reduced.

Computer tested in a safe closed loop pneumatic process, the humidity is stopped and drying begins just as the products are sprouted. This is a consistent, proven process steeped in technical innovation, one that our commercial customers can feel confident sharing with their consumers.

Because of the advanced computer-driven technology used by Valley Select Ingredients, there’s less room for human error, creating a higher quality product.

Unlike smaller sprouting facilities with homemade soaking processes, The Safe Sprouting method provides a proven barrier to microbes, bacteria, molds and yeasts.

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Pneumatic Technology

Executives at Valley Select Ingredients identified a need in the consumer packaged good industry for high-quality, consistent sprouted rice. As a result, Valley Select Ingredients uses a proprietary technology with a “closed loop” pneumatic system, which utilizes a “no soak” process. The germination vessel is steam-powered, computer-driven, temperature controlled and completely self-contained.

Closed Loop Pneumatic Process:

  1. Product received in controlled facility
  2. Moisture conditioning by high humidity air
  3. Internal temperature brought to a proprietary temp for several hours
  4. Sprouted
  5. Cooling & Drying
  6. Sorting
  7. Weighing

Sustainability

The LaGrande Family Food Group is dedicated to locally sourcing rice from farmers who practice responsible and sustainable farming practices. All ingredients come from within 100 miles of the mill. Our Safe Sprouting technology uses less water than traditional methods. By using steam created from the best watersheds in Northern California, including the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada’s, Valley Select Ingredients provides the cleanest tasting product in the industry.

Certifications

On August 27, 2015 Valley Select achieved its FSSC 22000 certification, a globally recognized system for food safety (under the GFSI-Global Food Safety Initiative) which combines ISO 22000 with ISO TS 22002.

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FSSC 22000, Food Safety System Certification

Provides a framework for effectively managing our food safety responsibilities.  It demonstrates our company has a robust Food Safety Management System in place that meets the requirements of our customers and consumers. It includes comprehensive requirements detailing how we conduct an effective HACCP plan. It’s not too descriptive, so it has the flexibility to allow our company to choose the best way to control our own system. The Standard requires continuous improvement of the system. Its focus is on food safety and legal compliance.

The FSSC 22000 Scheme has 3 required components

  1. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 22000 – provides a common framework across the entire supply chain to manage requirements, communication internally and externally, and continually improve the system. It integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
  2. PRPs – Sector specific Pre-requisite Programs (ISO/TS standards). Pre-requisite programs include: Sanitation and maintenance, product rework and recall, personnel hygiene, warehousing and food defense.
  3. FSSC 22000 Requirements – adds specific requirements to ensure consistency, integrity and to provide governance and management of the Scheme.

The main differences between FSSC 22000 and schemes like IFS, BRC and SQF are:

Independent, international standards

FSSC 22000 uses international, independent ISO standards and additional requirements. These standards are not owned by a specific stakeholder organization like most other GFSI recognized schemes. The standards are developed and maintained by Food Safety experts from around the world working together in an ISO committee. The experts are nominated by the members of ISO, the national standardization organizations. They come from all stakeholders from the food supply chain like retailers, manufacturers, food authorities etc.

Management System Certification

FSSC 22000 is a management system certification scheme. Schemes like IFS, BRC and SQF are process / product certification schemes. This means a significant difference in the audit approach.

First, the audit duration of a FSSC audit is longer and the audits have more depth. FSSC is not an annual audit where a list of requirements is checked but has a three-year cycle. It starts with an initial certification that includes a stage 1 and 2 audit. The stage 1 audit is reviewing if the food safety management system covers all requirements and has an in depth review if the HACCP plan is complete and robust. Approximately 6 weeks later the stage 2 audit is conducted. This covers the implementation and effectiveness of the system. It includes a review of the implementation of CCP’s, OPRP’s and PRP’s. After a successful certification audit a certificate is issued with a validity of 3 years. Each year a surveillance audit is conducted reviewing if the system is continuously implemented, effective and up to date. After 3 years a re-certification audit is conducted where the whole system is reviewed again and when being successful the certificate will be extended.

Another significant difference between a management system audit and a process/ product audit is that management system audits focus also much stronger on management commitment, effectiveness, and continuous improvement. This supports the organization in achieving better results and a higher level of conformity.

Focused on Food Safety

As ISO 22000 and the technical specifications for sector PRPs are covering food safety the whole audit is focused on the management and assurance of food safety. Using management system standards like ISO 22000 enables an organization to build an integrated management system covering all aspects relevant for an organization and its clients.

Valley Select is certified by SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance), an organization accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service).

Valley Select, LLC Food Safety Policy

Valley Select, LLC, (SVR), management is committed to providing products which are safe and of the highest quality, meeting or exceeding customer specifications, while complying with all regulatory requirements. In order to fulfill that commitment they have created a Food Safety Team who shall strictly adhere to the Food Safety Management System and operational methods in which food safety and customer satisfaction are the primary goals.

We are committed to the continual improvement of this Food Safety Management System, through the monitoring of our performance against established goals and through leadership that promotes teamwork and employee participation at all levels.

Food Safety Team Trainings:

  • Internal Auditing 10/2 – 10/3/2014
  • Corrective Action and Root Cause Analysis Training 4/28 – 4/29/2015
  • FSMA/HARPC Training 11/2 – 11/5/2015
  • Preventive Control Qualified Individual training for FDA’s FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) compliance 8/22-23/2016.
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