Food Safety

At Braga Fresh, our number one priority is delivering produce of the highest quality while meeting all food safety standards. Our customers deserve the safest, finest produce available — and that starts on the farm. Under the Josie’s Organics, Braga Farms and Golden State labels, Braga Fresh offers both organic and conventional produce, grown by A.S.A. Organics and Braga Ranch of Soledad, CA.

The internal food safety programs at both A.S.A. Organics and Braga Ranch are continually updated to meet the highest standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A.S.A. and Braga employees receive continual training on the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS).

In addition to the ongoing audits performed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement (LGMA), A.S.A. and Braga hire independent third-party auditors to assure crops and growing conditions meet government regulations and their own high standards. In addition, A.S.A. and Braga are LGMA-compliant, and President Rodney Braga has been a vocal spokesperson within the industry and with national and international media. Mr. Braga has helped bring awareness to what constitutes good agricultural practices and how farmers are working to assure a safe food supply.

The following programs and procedures are part of every-day operations at A.S.A. and Braga:

• GAP and FSMS Program
• Pest Control Program
• Trace/Recall Program
• Farming Policies/Procedures
• Sanitation Program
• Independent Lab Microbial Testing
• Monthly Self Inspection
• Food Security Program
• Guidelines for Handling Regulatory Inspections
• Monthly Food Safety Meetings for Management
• Weekly Tailgate Meeting for Employees
• Strict Product Standards
• Third Party Audit Program