SQF to Certify Safety of Mexican Produce

ARLINGTON, Va. — All 150 members of the Mexican association for companies that grow produce in greenhouses and other covered structures, known as protected horticulture, recently committed to be certified under the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program of the Food Marketing Institute here.

This commitment is part of a new food safety and quality initiative by the Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida (AMHPAC), whose members produce 900,000 tons of bell and hot peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and specialty items per year — most of it exported to Canada, Europe, Japan and the U.S.

“AMHPAC’s strong commitment to food safety will benefit the millions of American consumers who increasingly enjoy the consistency, quality and taste of produce such as vine-ripened tomatoes grown in controlled environments,” said John Schulz, director of business operations at the SQF Institute, which administers the food safety certification program.

AMHPAC members will be SQF-certified within two years; certification will cover safe growing practices, packaging and distribution.

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