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.
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.
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!
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.
Our emphasis on quality, hygiene and testing is verified by external organizations.
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.
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 global sanitation partner guarantees that detergents and disinfectant are effective against viruses and bacteria. So take a look inside an IFCO wash center here.
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.
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.
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!
