Food safety enhances consumer confidence and loyalty, helps avoid costs associated with recalls, disposal, and penalties, and reduces legal expenses as a result of food borne outbreaks.
Food safety is a growing concern that can have a major impact on your business. It is estimated that 1 in 8 people will get sick form contaminated food. A single event of a food borne disease outbreak can bring unimaginable economic losses. An estimated annual 300,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths in the U.S. alone are related to food-borne illnesses. The resulting cost to the U.S. economy is around $7 billion which comes from notifying consumers, removing food from shelves, and paying damages as a result of lawsuits.
An increase in the globalized food trade in recent years, along with a complex supply chain all contribute toward an increased number of microbiological food safety outbreaks. Food companies also face increased competition and that can often lead to lax food safety measures which increase chances of a health event.
California Trays® were designed to assist in the fight for food safety. Manufactured from low density food grade polyethylene, they ensure superior ventilation and drainage, provide maximum air flow through the produce and maintain fresher produce longer. In refrigerated cases with misting systems California Trays® provide more efficient refrigeration and proper drainage, leaving no standing water to harbour bacteria.
Recently, California Trays® have become even more potent in combating the effects of bacteria, by teaming up with Steritouch®. SteriTouch® prevents bacterial, mold and fungal growth by using a silver based additive, that holds extensive approvals including those for food contact. (NASA uses silver on the International Space Station to help keep water fresh.)
Additives used have no potential health or environmental concerns such as Triclosan or nano-scale particles, and all active components have been notified for inclusion on the Biocidal Products Regulation and are European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved.
SteriTouch® stops microbial, black mold, biofilm and fungal growth on California Trays®. Minimizes odours from microbial causes and is unaffected by bleach, alcohol cleaning products and disinfectants.
California Trays® are your answer to increasing the life of your produce. The patented tray is specifically designed in an open weave style to provide superior ventilation and drainage. The design also effectively disperses ethylene gas from produce. Ethylene gas in fruits is a naturally occurring process resulting from the ripening of fruit and vegetables. Ethylene gas in fruits and vegetables is actually a plant hormone which regulates the plant’s growth and development as well as the speed at which these occur, much as hormones do in humans or animals.
Fruits and vegetables that sit in a non ventilated space will age more quickly. California Trays®, with it’s unique weave pattern, allows air to pass through the tray and produce keeping the fruits and vegetables vibrant for a longer period of time. The result to your business is monumental.
Fresh categories are driving nearly 49 percent of all dollar growth across fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), with fresh and perishable foods generating more than $177 billion in sales. In addition, fresh food generated more than 14 times more in sales than all other beverage and food sales online. With these type of numbers, it makes sense to protect your number one margin generator. A 1% reduction in shrink can represent millions of dollars.
