CFS 2024 Gold Star Award Goes to Bonduelle and Fresh Express

The food safety excellence award went to four different recipients that demonstrated excellence in sanitation, hygienic design and pathogen control.

Ten employees in green company shirts gather around a glass award trophy and a banner celebrating World Food Safety Day.
The Swedesboro facility of Bonduelle Americas (staff pictured here) was one of four winners of Commercial Food Sanitation’s Gold Star Award for 2024.
(Photo courtesy of CSF)

Commercial Food Sanitation says it was proud to announce four honorees as Gold Star Award winners for 2024. The annual award recognizes production facilities that have demonstrated self-managed excellence in the areas of sanitation, hygienic design and environmental pathogen control in the prior year.

Winners for 2024 were:

  • Bonduelle–Irwindale,
  • Bonduelle–Swedesboro
  • Fresh Express–Grand Prairie
    Fresh Express–Streamwood

This is the third consecutive year a Bonduelle facility has received the award, according to CFS.

“At Bonduelle Americas, food safety isn’t just a priority — it’s a shared responsibility and a daily commitment to excellence across all our sites,” says Bobby Chacko, Bonduelle Americas CEO, in a news release.

“We are incredibly proud that both our Irwindale and Swedesboro teams earned the CFS Gold Star Award for 2024" Chacko says. “This recognition reflects not only the rigor of our standards, but also our signature Bonduelle quality approach, which is anchored in proactive risk management, team ownership, and a culture of continuous improvement. We’re grateful to Commercial Food Sanitation for their continued partnership and recognition as we advance our mission to deliver safe, high-quality, plant-rich foods to our consumers.”

At Fresh Express, President John P. Olivo says the team believes in comprehensive, system-wide prevention combined with diligent, well-trained teams to drive the food safety excellence needed to protect public health. He also says the company has emphasized strengthening their company-wide food safety culture, which highlights the essential links between team engagement, continuous learning and achieving exceptional sanitation performance.

“We’re especially proud to announce that our Grand Prairie and Streamwood facilities have been named recipients of the 2024 CFS Gold Star Award, a prestigious honor recognizing exemplary commitment to sanitation best practices and continuous improvement,” Olivo says. “The award highlights the importance of always striving to exceed existing food safety standards. Being selected for this recognition is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of our entire Fresh Express family.”

Facilities receiving the award implemented programs and achieved expectations that demonstrated sustainable characteristics, CFS says.

“It’s a privilege to recognize these four Bonduelle Americas and Fresh Express facilities with our 2024 CFS Gold Star Award,” says Cari Rasmussen, food safety director at CFS North America. “Food safety excellence requires an ongoing commitment from everyone across the organization, and all of our award winners exemplify that commitment to deliver safe food to all of us.”

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