IFCO is our trusted food safety partner

For IFCO, food safety is a priority. IFCO is committed to food safety and the hygiene of our reusable packaging containers (RPCs). Used for billions of shipments of perishable goods since 1992, IFCO RPCs have never been identified as the source of a food safety outbreak. Find out how we underline this commitment through our superior products, rigorous sanitation processes, ongoing testing and dedicated specialists.

IFCO RPCs have a perfect food safety record

We care about what matters to you. We work extremely hard to establish food safety programs and standardize our global processes, because we must first guarantee food safety before we can deliver the freshest foods cost-efficiently. Our RPCs are certified food-grade. Our procedures and wash processes are internationally certified to the highest food industry standards. Our specialists have decades of experience. These elements all interlock, each building the foundation for the next.

In a pooling system, such as the IFCO SmartCycle, cleaning and sanitizing RPCs is extremely critical. We use highly-automated processes that are designed to deactivate or remove human and plant pathogens. No cases of transmission of plant viruses from IFCO RPCs have ever been documented. Our RPCs are prewashed, washed, rinsed and sanitized with disinfectants before they are dispatched again. Because we continually monitor our processes through our own SmartGuardian™, we guarantee the highest levels of product quality and hygiene.

IFCO advocates food safety programs

In the fresh produce supply chain, food safety is critical. IFCO demonstrates commitment to food safety in everything we do. We put great effort into monitoring processes and installing food safety programs, because this mindset is so essential. Any procedure includes analyzing risks and establishing critical points, along with verifying and documenting methods. But no process can work without a proper employee culture: Your staff must instill the principles in their daily attitudes and actions!

We can help you raise food safety awareness in your business

Learn how our people, products and services can support your food safety efforts. For example, our pallet identification lets you be sure IFCO RPCs arrive hygienically clean. With track and trace capabilities, you can monitor the cold chain. And discover why our one-touch system reduces the need to touch produce.

IFCO meets and surpasses global methodologies

Our emphasis on quality, hygiene and testing is verified by external organizations.

  • We conform to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which assure proper monitoring of the manufacturing processes
  • We are also certified for quality management (ISO 9001)
  • And very significantly, our cleaning process is audited by independent third parties, so it is aligned with the highest global food safety, hygiene and industry standards
  • Frequent third-party testing and audits prove that our cleaning and disinfection processes are extremely effective at removing micro-organisms, toxic substances and other impurities
  • Such tests verify that sanitized IFCO RPCs are as safe as new containers, whether reusable or single-use
  • You can use IFCO RPCs without concern as a packaging solution for fresh produce and perishable foods
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IFCO validates processes through testing and hygiene

Sanitized IFCO RPCs can be used without concern. Thanks to our rigorous testing and hygiene processes, IFCO RPCs are as safe as new containers.

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IFCO has validated wash processes

As IFCO RPCs follow the closed-loop SmartCycle™, they undergo regular pallet-level monitoring. At our highly automated wash centers, each RPC is washed and sanitized individually in a validated process according to strict company guidelines that are used at our centers around the world.

The science behind our washing process

We would also like you to understand the science behind our state-of-the-art cleaning and sanitation process, which is designed to deactivate or remove a wide range of human and plant pathogens.

IFCO’s own SmartGuardian™ system continuously monitors the processes, and the data is regularly validated.

Our partners guarantee

Our global sanitation partner guarantees that detergents and disinfectant are effective against viruses and bacteria. So take a look inside an IFCO wash center here.

Wash challenge studies

As part of our validation process, we perform additional "wash challenge" studies to ensure our wash process is effective in removing or inactivating both human and plant pathogens. These studies prove the absence of risk of transmission from our RPCs.

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IFCO employs food safety specialists

IFCO RPCs are continuously tested and verified to be contaminant-free. We trust in our stringent sanitation and standardized processes to provide hygienically clean RPCs. As part of our commitment, we have food safety specialists to manage policies, and monitor the processes or respond to any potential threats. They ensure that our processes are always the most advanced on the market, and above all, safe for your products.

Should you have questions on food safety and washing-related topic, please contact our Director of Food Safety and Quality at IFCO.

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Expert advice from IFCO’s Global Director of Food Safety

IFCO takes food safety seriously. The company’s Director of Food Safety and Quality, Jeffery Mitchell, is an expert in food-borne illness prevention.

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Customers trust IFCO as their food safety partner

Our customers tell the food safety story best. Growers work hard to produce and harvest their goods – and to get these to retailers and consumers quickly and safely. They trust that IFCO’s washing and sanitation methods remove contaminants and microorganisms including bacteria and plant viruses. And they know that their products are safe in IFCO RPCs. Food safety is our priority. Still have questions? Please contact us!

Accompany Italian growers who transport their fresh produce in IFCO RPCs – and who trust that IFCO ensures food safety.
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