Organic farming certification what must Baby Leaf Salads have to obtain it
At OP Isola Verde we pay utmost attention to the quality of our Baby Leaf Salads.Every day we plan and carry out strict internal controls to ensure the healthiness of the product, and we are regularly audited by independent certification bodies who provide impartial reports on the compliance of the Company with the requisites required to obtain international certification.
We currently have an outstanding 13 different types of certification which involve good farming and production practices, supply chain traceability, integrated and sustainable production and also the production of organic baby leaf salads, according to Reg. (EU) 848/2018 which defines the certification system in the European Union.
Out of our total of 230 hectares of production facilities, in fact, over 30 hectares of land in the Northern Italian facilities and 60 hectares in Southern Italian facilities are dedicated to the production of organic baby leaf salads.
What does this actually mean? Let’s take a closer look.
Prohibition of the use of chemical synthesis substances (fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides)
We only use seedlings and fertiliser allowed by the organic farming practices in the areas of land dedicated to the preparation and growth of Organic Baby Leaf Salads.
These activities are carried out by trained personnel whilst the use of state-of-the-art machinery which provides efficient and effective supervision from the sowing phase through to the harvesting phase of the organic baby leaf salads is carried out and supervised by the OP Isola Verde field technicians.
Control from the sowing phase to harvesting phase
Our control plan envisages tests during the pre-sowing and pre-harvesting phases, plus daily conformity controls that involve perimeters, company areas, water sources and water distribution systems, company washrooms, operator apparel, condition of the salad collecting machines, farming and packaging machines and checking for the presence of any weeds.
We have also put in place a chemical and microbiological monitoring plan whereby independent accredited laboratories verify the conformity of the product.
Sustainable Development
Deciding to grow organic baby leaf salads is an ethical choice which is part of our commitment towards the farming of tomorrow.
In addition to the quality of the product in itself, in fact, in order to obtain organic certification, we have to demonstrate we have put in place tangible measured to promote sustainable farming and to run our business in a manner which avoids any negative impact on the environment whereby, on the contrary, it boosts biodiversity levels.
An arduous commitment, yet one that is rewarding every time our customers understand the value and quality contained in every single OP Isola Verde baby salad leaf.
Quality Assurance Manager
I put food safety first and I assure compliance of the OP Isola Verde production processes with all relative quality standards.
I believe that quality is neither a cost nor a hindrance for business development, on the contrary, I consider it to be a preventive investment that guarantees our customers superior quality baby leaf salads, certified according to international standards.
