Production Process
Our quality will be guaranteed by following good manufacturing principles and being guided by the Food & Drug Administration, the certifying agencies for organic and kosher manufacturing, self audits and audits from our large customers, and the Los Angeles and California health departments. A number of us at Maplegrove suffer from allergies and food intolerances and this has served well in helping the entire staff to be vigilant in maintaining the highest standards.
All raw materials are sourced only from gluten free processors and we directly conduct annual audits to ensure our suppliers remain qualified. Inbound material is shipped with dedicated food carriers and all trucks are inspected by the supplier before loading. If it is determined acceptable a legal document, an affidavit, is produced and the trailer is sealed. Upon arrival a visual inspection is followed by analyses for gluten and moisture content before unloading and removing from quarantine. During and after processing, the same tests are again conducted along with organoleptic testing and all acceptable products are put through metal detection before releasing.
Our methodology and results are verified by two independent laboratories. We continue to provide full training on hygiene and food handling for all new personnel, and existing personnel are given quarterly refresher courses. All employees change from street clothes and are required to wash their hands with soap for thirty seconds before returning to their work stations. The sink, soap dispenser and paper towel dispenser are all touch free. Cleaning of manufacturing equipment and pest control is done to standards as set by the organic certifying agency and before equipment is put into use it must be first sanitized by steam.
Quality Control
Here are some of the steps we take to guarantee a safe and wholesome gluten free food.
Sources
Our raw materials are purchased from mills that process ONLY Gluten Free Products. The farmers that grow rice for us do no rotate their crops with any gluten containing grains. We directly conduct audits to verify compliance to standards as set by our company and vetted by a qualified and international recognized laboratory.
Transport
We transport all raw materials in dedicated food approved carriers. An affidavit must be provided by our suppliers to show that the trucks are fully inspected before loading. This is done to ensure there are no leaks, spillages or holes through which the product could become contaminated or quality compromised.
Testing for biological Activity and Gluten
When the raw material arrives at our facility it is inspected while still on the truck and if deemed acceptable it will be unloaded and quarantined. The product is then tested for biological activity and gluten with samples taken from three different parts of the load. If the results are good then the material is released into production.
Metal Detection
After production and when the product reaches the proper level of dryness (maximum 11% moisture), it is cooked and tested organoleptically. At this point if it is found acceptable it will then be tested for gluten and then be put through metal detection before being packed.
Third Party Testing & Verification
Samples are retained from every batch and we use two independent labs, (Gelda Scientific and Maxxam Analytics Inc) to verify our testing and results. Over the years, all tests have shown our products to be gluten free.
Standards
Our facility is monitored by several Government agencies. The Organic Crop Producer and Processor Agency for Organic Certification compliance, and also the Kosher Council of Canada for the Kosher Compliance. We also use the Guelph Food Technology Centre which is world recognized to conduct audits of our quality systems.
