Six Produce Processors Earn 2025 CFS Gold Star Award for Food Safety Excellence

Six fresh produce processing facilities have been named recipients of the 2025 Commercial Food Sanitation® (CFS) Gold Star Award. The award, given annually, recognizes sustained excellence in sanitation, hygienic design, and environmental pathogen control.

The honorees—representing four companies across the produce industry—include locations operated by Bonduelle Fresh Americas, Church Brothers Farms, Fresh Express, and Taylor Farms. Each facility was evaluated through CFS’s annual on-site assessment process, which tracks measurable food safety improvement over time.

“The Gold Star Award reflects a continuous commitment to improving food safety over time,” said Cari Rasmussen, CFS food safety director for North America. “These recipients exemplify what it means to keep raising the standard, day after day, to create safer, cleaner food processing operations and drive long-term food safety improvement.”

Bonduelle Fresh Americas earned recognition at two facilities. The apple, specialty, and tomato processing lines at its Irwindale, California, plant received the award for the fourth consecutive year, while apple processing operations at its Swedesboro, New Jersey, facility were honored for the second year in a row. Bonduelle is a leading producer of fresh-cut vegetables, ready-to-eat salads, and plant-based meal solutions serving retail and foodservice markets across North America.

Church Brothers Farms received the award for the first time at its Yuma, Arizona, facility. The vertically integrated grower-processor supplies fresh leafy greens and vegetables to retail and foodservice customers across North America.

Fresh Express, which produces fresh salads and prepared vegetable products for retail grocery and food service networks, earned recognition at two locations. Its Grand Prairie, Texas, facility received the award for the second consecutive year, while its Morrow, Georgia, plant, recognized for apple processing, earned the distinction for the first time.

Taylor Farms’ Smyrna, Tennessee, facility received the Gold Star Award for the third time. Taylor Farms is a North American producer of fresh-cut salads, vegetables, and healthy fresh foods supplying retail, foodservice, and restaurant customers.

The Gold Star Award is given annually to production facilities that demonstrate self-managed food safety excellence in the prior year. Facilities receiving the award have implemented programs that reflect sustainable, prevention-focused practices, such as strengthening sanitation operations, investing in hygienic design, and developing employee capabilities through training and certification.

CFS, an Intralox company, provides food safety consulting, training, and certification to processing facilities worldwide, with a focus on sanitation, hygienic design, and environmental pathogen control.