Best Practices, Care & Handling

Berries from California Giant Berry Farms are key contributors to your produce department sales, and we are here to help maximize your profits and fulfill year-round consumer demand. Our strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are as fragile as they are popular. Following our guidelines for receiving and handling California Giant berries in your operation will ensure the berry best is always delivered to your customers:

RECEIVING/INSPECTION

Berries on pallets that have been bagged and treated with carbon dioxide will warm during transport because of their respiration. It is crucial that you remove bags immediately upon arrival. Improper handling of bagged pallets can result in off flavor.
Unload all berries immediately into a cold room. Never allow a shipment to sit outside of a cold atmosphere when not on display. Optimum temperature is near 32°F degrees (breakdown begins at 36°F degrees) with high humidity (90-95%). Un-refrigerated storage reduces shelf life and creates shrink.
Check for maturity, ripeness level, quantity, packaging, size, count, weight, and grade. Report any discrepancies immediately.

DISPLAY & MERCHANDISING

For delicate, perishable fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, maintaining the cold chain is critical to having them looking their best and lasting as long as possible.
Preserve the cold chain and avoid the risk of premature decay and spoilage by keeping berries cooled to near 32°F degrees.
Display berries in a refrigerated display to maintain the cold chain.
Do not allow berries to encounter moisture or misters. Moisture will cause rapid breakdown of the berry and will promote mold (ethylene gas does not affect them).
Rework berries each morning from the previous day's display.
Spot check display throughout the day.