Since our very first days farming on a 2.5-acre heirloom raspberry farm over a quarter-century ago, we’ve chosen to produce food in ways that are the safest for people and the planet — which is why we farm organically, without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Organic farming keeps these chemicals out of our air, our water, our ecosystems, and the food we eat. In fact, in 2010 alone, Earthbound Farm’s organic farming by 150 growers on more than 35,000 acres will keep more than 11.5 million pounds of these synthetic chemicals out of the environment…and our food.
All of our 150 growers participate in our Organic Integrity program, which provides an extra layer of organic confidence — we conduct unannounced visits between certification audits to ensure organic compliance.
Our responsibility to produce safe and healthy food goes beyond using Earth-friendly farming methods that protect the health of the people who eat our food. Earthbound Farm’s food safety program is unparalleled in our industry. From the seed we select, to the compost and water we use to nurture our drops, to the salads we package for sale, we’re testing for foodborne bacteria to ensure we’re producing the safest products possible.
Before planting, we evaluate each field’s natural history so we understand anything that might need special attention. Then, before planting, our seeds are tested for potentially harmful bacteria (pathogens), including E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella, as are our irrigation water, soil amendments, and composted materials. Once the crops are growing, we audit our field harvesters to ensure they are following our strict food safety standards.
When the freshly harvested salad greens reach our plant, they are lab-tested for pathogenic E. coli, salmonella, and shigella, and we destroy any greens that show signs of these bacteria. Only cleared greens are sorted, washed, and packaged.
For an additional layer of security, we test our salads again for the same pathogens once they’re packaged. Just like in round one, we destroy any greens that show signs of these bacteria — though it’s an extremely rare occurrence at this point. Only greens that have cleared both rounds of testing are shipped out to stores around the country.
Every employee in our processing plant wears protective clothing — including gloves, hair and beard nets, long sleeves, smocks, and hard hats — to ensure there is no unprotected human contact with the produce, and they all use glove and shoe sanitizers as they move between processing areas of the plant.
Our custom-designed equipment inspects, washes, and dries our delicate salad greens without damaging them. Things we don’t want in our salads, like rocks and twigs, are picked out by state-of-the-art optical sorters. The greens are then pre-washed in cold, lightly chlorinated water to remove impurities before they’re packaged.
We know where every leaf comes from in every salad we produce. We know all the farmers, and we can also tell you which farms your salad greens came from and how they were packaged just by looking at the code on each package.
A This letter tells us which facility the salad was packed in.
B This number tells us the date the salad was packed.
C This letter tells us which shift packed the salad.
D This number tells us which line produced the salad.
E This number tells us exactly what time the salad was packed.
If we need to trace back through the facility to the farm for any reason at all, we can do it instantly because of the information contained in this code.
The BRC logo is a trademark of the British Retail Consortium, used under license. All other logos are the property of their respective owners, used with permission.
Remember, fresh produce is perishable — see our tips for handling fresh produce safely at home.
For more information:
Frequently Asked Questions | Organic Certification | Organic 101 | Our Products
