Nagata Bros. Blueberries Earn Rigorous Pesticide Residue Free Certification

Family-owned and operated Nagata Bros. Farms Inc. has had its “California Sweet” brand blueberry crop independently certified as Pesticide Residue Free by SCS Global Services (SCS), an internationally recognized third-party certification body. Nagata’s blueberry packages will become the first berries of the 2014 growing season to feature the Pesticide Residue Free claim in stores. “It is quite a feat to produce berries in California without the use of chemical pesticides,” said Brandon Nauman, SCS Food Testing Project Manager. “Nagata Bros.’ efforts have resulted in a delicious, nutritious product that satisfies the most demanding consumers.” Nagata Bros. Farms, based in Oceanside, California, plans to roll out packaged “California Sweet” blueberries featuring the SCS Kingfisher certification mark with the Pesticide Residue Free claim at retail locations, including Albertson’s and Stater Bros., later this month. “Nagata Brothers Farms has been committed to growing high-quality crops while incorporating sustainable pest-management practices for over twenty years. Growing our blueberries without pesticides enables us to meet the tough Pesticide Residue Free standard – that’s good for business, the environment, and our workers,” Neil Nagata, President of Nagata Bros. said. “The SCS Kingfisher certification mark assures our customers that they can buy fresh, delicious blueberries without worrying about pesticide residue.” SCS, based in Emeryville, California, has been providing third-party certification of Pesticide Residue Free claims for three decades, along with other environmental, sustainability and food safety claims. The certification process provides important feedback to producers to help them fine-tune their pest management practices to minimize or avoid use of high-risk pesticides. Before harvest, SCS collects “worst-case” samples from the field and packing sheds, then analyzes them under a rigorous testing protocol to confirm that they are free of all pesticide residues down to 0.01 ppm or the analytical limits of detection. For more information about the program please visit http://www.scsglobalservices.com/certified-pesticide-residue-free and for a list of certified clients visit http://www.scsglobalservices.com/food-and-agriculture-products. Nagata Bros. Farms is a third-generation family farm based in Southern California since 1920, growing fresh fruits and vegetables. The farm is focused on using sustainability practices that take into consideration the farm’s natural eco-system to produce environmentally friendly products. The farm is currently focused on growing blueberries and cherimoya fruit. SCS Global Services (SCS) has been a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing and standards development for thirty years. SCS programs span a wide cross-section of sectors, recognizing exemplary performance in the food and agriculture sector, natural resource management, green building, product manufacturing, retailing and more. SCS is a Certified B CorporationTM, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practice.