PORTLAND, Ore., U.S. – Portland Coffee Roasters, the area’s largest independently owned coffee roasting company, today announced that it has achieved certification under the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Food Safety Code for Manufacturing, a globally trusted food safety and quality program. Portland Coffee Roasters is among the first independent specialty roasters in the United States certified to this level.
Launched in 1994, the SQF Program is recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers worldwide. Benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the SQF family of food safety and quality codes are designed to meet industry, customer, and regulatory requirements for all sectors of the food supply chain––from farms all the way to retail stores.
Widely considered one of the most rigorous and comprehensive food safety and quality standards in the world, SQF certification provides independent verification that a facility’s food safety and risk mitigation strategies are effective and scientifically sound.
Achieving SQF certification requires tight control at every step of the supply chain and manufacturing process to ensure that products are produced, packaged and distributed in a manner that prioritizes consumer safety and minimizes the likelihood of product recalls. Although the company has undergone annual third-party food safety audits for over 15 years, it took several months to design, implement, and continuously verify programs to meet the exacting requirements of the SQF code and receive the certificate.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for Portland Coffee Roasters, and we are honored to be among the nation’s first independent specialty roasters certified,” stated Nathaniel Lamers, SQF Practitioner and Safety Coordinator at Portland Coffee Roasters. “Our company is committed to providing coffee that meets the highest food safety and quality standards, and we’re excited to earn this distinction at a time when the importance of public health and safety is so readily apparent.”
For more information, visit PortlandCoffeeRoasters.com and engage the brand on social media at @PDXCoffeeRoasters.
About Portland Coffee Roasters
Founded in Portland, Oregon in 1996, Portland Coffee Roasters is a wholesale and retail coffee company that sources, roasts, and distributes high-quality specialty coffees locally and nationally. Its mission is to create positive human connections through coffee by building a socially responsible business. Through direct-source programs and global projects, the company works with farming communities and cooperatives to improve the quality of life for all members of the coffee supply chain.
