Blue Diamond Almonds Attains Level 2 SQF Certification

Managed by the Safe Quality Food Institute, the “one program and one standard” approach is recognized around the world as a rigorous and credible food safety management system. It is the only Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) adopted standard that incorporates a quality certification component.

21 Sep 2012 --- Mr. Brian Dunning, Director of Corporate Quality Assurance for Blue Diamond Growers, has announced today that Blue Diamond has attained Level 2 - Safe Quality Food (SQF) 2000 Certification, making Blue Diamond the first value-added almond ingredient handler to attain Level 2 SQF 2000 Certification.

SQF certification is based on government and industry food safety requirements. Managed by the Safe Quality Food Institute, the “one program and one standard” approach is recognized around the world as a rigorous and credible food safety management system. It is the only Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) adopted standard that incorporates a quality certification component.

“Level 2 SQF certification is the next advancement in continual improvement to protect our brand and our customers’ brands,” stated Mr. Dunning. “It’s our assurance that the almond ingredients we supply our customers have passed rigorous food safety and quality standards that are recognized globally.”

The SQF program improves process management by helping to proactively identify and manage food safety and quality, a unique feature among certification programs. It is more reason for customers around the world to seek out suppliers who have attained SQF 2000 Certification.

Mr. Bill Morecraft, General Manager of Blue Diamond’s Global Ingredient Division commented, “Consumers today are very concerned that the products they buy are unquestionably safe. They are more knowledgeable about the products they purchase and require more information about the safety of the food they feed their families. We supply almond ingredients to leading food brands around the world and this is one more step in ensuring their products are made with the safest and highest quality ingredients.”