Consumers

We foster a culture of food safety and are committed to producing bakery foods that comply with all applicable regulatory requirements and standards, while delivering the consistency, quality, and authenticity customers and consumers expect. Our bakeries across the United States implement comprehensive food safety plans, rigorous training programs, and thorough and transparent auditing practices. In addition to routine inspections by local, state, and industry agencies, we conduct annual internal audits to help maintain high food safety standards across our operations.

Food Safety Management Program
Our Food Safety Management Program is designed to promote safe food handling practices throughout the production and distribution process. The program is guided by a science-based risk assessment and preventive control framework that identifies and mitigates potential food safety hazards across our operations. Key practices include ongoing monitoring and verification procedures, corrective actions, a risk-based supply chain program for receiving facilities, and comprehensive recordkeeping and documentation.

Our approach is centered on four core areas:

1. Managing food safety operations at the facility level through sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC);
2. Delivering companywide food safety training programs;
3. Maintaining a dedicated Quality, Regulatory, Food Safety, and Sanitation team that provides scientific and technical expertise to support the safety and quality of products manufactured or supplied to our bakery; and
4. Implementing third-party auditing of suppliers to help ensure alignment with Flowers’ food safety and quality expectations.

Inspections and Certifications
All Flowers bakeries are certified under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which requires annual third-party reviews of our food safety plans and quality systems. We also conduct comprehensive evaluations of product safety and quality throughout the production process, including finished product evaluations and shelf-life testing. In addition, independent third-party internal audits help identify opportunities for continuous improvement of food safety and quality practices.

Suppliers
Flowers incorporates quality and food safety expectations for suppliers into our Supplier Code of Conduct. In support of GFSI certification requirements, our bakeries maintain audit records related to the quality and safety of suppliers’ raw materials and packaging.

Product Labeling
Mislabeling is a leading cause of food recalls, and we strive to ensure our labels are clear, transparent, and accurate so consumers can make informed decisions about the products they purchase. We comply with all federal labeling requirements and regularly review and update our labels to align with evolving regulations and standards.

Quality Assurance
A critical component of our manufacturing process is scoring, which involves monitoring finished products for attributes such as color, weight, toppings, height, and width, and adjusting production process if products do not meet quality expectations. In addition, our Consumer Relations Center tracks and analyzes consumer feedback and complaints, with trends and insights regularly reported to senior leadership.