Marina, Calif.-based QFresh Lab has joined the newly expanded CEA Alliance.
“As indoor produce continues to expand across the country, the QFresh Lab is responding by joining the organization in order to bring our unique services to the broader Controlled Environment Agriculture marketplace,” Jeff Brandenburg, founder of QFresh, said in a news release.
The company, with its primary lab in Marina, is a full-service, independent analytical testing laboratory supporting the fresh food industry throughout the globe, according to the release.
The QFresh lab portfolio of consulting and testing services includes package design, produce physiology, shelf life, quality, food safety and equipment design; providing its clients with the tools needed to sustain and grow their business, according to the release.
With the lab on the West Coast and staff and satellite labs located on both coasts as well as the Midwest, the release said QFresh Lab is well positioned to support and serve its clients.
“With a new name and mission, the new Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance — ‘CEA Alliance’ — will expand its membership to serve growers delivering the freshest, best-tasting, and most nutritious fruits and vegetables to consumers, with the least environmental impact; reducing use of water, land and other scarce resources; and employing the most rigorous practices to ensure the safety of our products,” CEA Alliance Executive Director Tom Stenzel said in the release.
The CEA Alliance will continue its support of unique food safety standards for indoor-grown produce but will expand its portfolio of services to include strong public policy advocacy, support for sustainability and climate-smart agriculture, and support of retail and foodservice companies in delivering differentiated produce to consumers, the release said.
