The Quality Control Technicians and plant personnel receive regular training sessions that cover topics from Personnel  Safety, Food Safety, Good Manufacturing Practices and job duties. This allows us to assure that personnel are properly trained in their areas of duty, and that they are kept up to date on all plant issues; whether they concern quality or production. In addition, this training informs Quality Control and Plant personnel about plant issues that could result in quality depravation, allowing them to be proactive when issues arise. 

Lion Raisins Quality Control personnel thoroughly evaluate one case of product every twenty (20) minutes. This equates to ninety (90) pounds of product an hour. 

Lion Raisins Quality Control personnel inspect product for all types of stems. Lion Raisins documents all stems found; they are then classified accordingly. Specific Classifications for identifying indigenous material. Those classifications are as follows: nubbins, large capstems, small capstems, embedded stems, small loose stems, and large loose stems.  Specific classifications allow us to give our customers accurate information regarding the product we pack for them. 

Lion Raisins Quality Control personnel evaluate and document product moisture levels three (3) minutes after grinding and ten (10) minutes after grinding. This allows the surface moisture that is added through the cleaning process to dissipate and thus allow the actual moisture to be closer to equilibrium.

Lion Raisins Quality Control personnel evaluate product for Berry Count per Pound (BCP). Several of our customers request and require this important piece of information. 

Lion Quality Control personnel are stationed at the end of the processing line throughout both shifts. These stations are set up with all of the necessary equipment for testing the quality of raisins. Additionally, these stations are equipped with computers that are tied into the company database. This allows us to report and distribute to our customers information in a timely manner and without having to handwrite, hand-process or hand-calculate data. This also prevents misleading errors from occurring when transferring data manually.

Having trained Quality Control technicians stationed within the process flow allows Lion Raisins to control the quality of the product and deal with issues in a proactive manner to assure that the quality of the product packed is never compromised and is always the highest quality product the industry can produce. The stationing of Lion Raisins Quality Control Technicians enhances communication between Production and Quality and allows for the Quality Control Department to take immediate action if necessary to assure that only the highest quality product is packed and distributed, as they are a direct component of the process.

Quality Control Technicians perform oil application evaluations on product calling for the application of oil.  Proper oil application verification is necessary to assure that requested amounts of oil are applied to product. This assures that our customers can label products with the proper nutritional data. Quality Control Technicians monitor the Oil/Tonnage Meter every 15 minutes for orders requiring the application of oils. Also, physical verification of oil application is performed twice per order for those requiring oil applications.

Lion Raisins Quality Control program also includes the monitoring of the three (3) laser sorters in the process. Checks are performed to assure that these three (3)  pieces of equipment are working appropriately to keep indigenous material from traveling through our process and to the customer. These checks are performed on laser-rejected product every 15 to 20 minutes. When fluctuations in the data collected from these checks are observed, Quality Control Technicians are able to communicate those signals to Production Supervisors who can then respond and correct any problems that may be detected. This vital communication is just one more step that Lion Raisins has implemented to assure that they are packing product that exceeds the USDA.

Another very important quality assuring task performed by a member of the Quality Control Department is Riffle Tank Verification and Sample Collection. In order to verify the efficiency of the riffle tank system on the processing line, a member of the Quality Control Department evaluates and collects a sample of the rejected material from the riffle tanks. This allows us to observe and document what types of foreign, indigenous material are being extracted from raw products prior to packing. In addition, a representative retention sample is collected during each riffle tank wash down. This sample is kept for six (6) months, so that it may be reviewed in case a customer has questions regarding product received. 

It is the practice of Lion Raisins Quality Control Technicians to collect a representative product sample for each check that they perform on the processing line. These samples are retained for several months. This enables us to randomly audit our own inspectors to assure that they are performing properly, as well as to reevaluate a representative sample of product packed. 

As mentioned above, Lion Raisins has implemented a stringent HACCP plan. Lion Raisins Quality Control Technicians monitor Critical Control Points as outlined in the Plan. This assures that CCP’s are in place and working to control the hazards outlined in the HACCP Plans Hazard Analysis. This monitoring includes metal detector efficiency on an hourly basis for every metal detector in the plant, for every running process. 

A member of the Lion Raisins Quality Control Department, as well as a USDA inspector performs pre-operational sanitation inspections daily, prior to the start of operation. It is Lion philosophy to be thoroughly attuned to our process, and all aspects of it, especially those that could reflect on the wholesomeness and quality of product produced by  Lion Raisins. The Lion Raisins daily pre-operational sanitation evaluation is just another step taken to show how conscientious and proactive we are about the product we produce. In addition to the pre-operational sanitation inspections performed by Quality Control Technicians, Lion Raisins has implemented a program that calls for the bacteriological swabbing of product contact surfaces throughout the plant. 

Lion Raisins Quality Control Department has implemented a Food Safety Committee that performs monthly audits on the plant to assure sanitation, GMP enforcement and other plant issues. These audits are performed on all areas of the plant, from processing lines to the warehouse to Restrooms and office facilities. This team is comprised of individuals from different aspects around the company. The USDA performs an Annual Plant Survey at this facility. Lion Raisins is once again going that extra mile to assure that all aspects of the plant and the process it entails are acceptable, and a committee of seven (7) multi-disciplinary members does this on a monthly basis. 

Members of the Lion Raisins Quality Control Department are in part responsible for the monitoring of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations. 


Audits of the Lion Raisins production facility are routinely performed by organizations that have guidelines that are very stringent. The American Institute of Baking (AIB) audits our facility annually. During the most recent audit Lion Raisins earned an “Superior” rating, scoring an 915. In addition to the AIB audits that Lion Raisins welcomes each year, a large number of our customers meticulously tour the plant and review the facilities Quality Control/Food Safety Programs throughout the year.

Recently, the European Community has revised its regulation governing Ochratoxin A limitations, and the testing of such. This is just one more area where Lion Raisins is providing a service to its valuable customers to assure Food Safety. Prior to the execution of this regulation, Lion Raisins implemented a testing program that calls for the collection and submission of raisin samples for customers governed by this regulation. In addition to testing samples of raisins for Ochratoxin A, Lion Raisins submits samples for several microbiological studies. In addition, we have a microbiological program that is constantly being updated. This program consists of routine testing of finished product. Samples are submitted to either Silliker Laboratories or Trilogy Analytical Laboratory for analysis. 

Lion Raisins has a stringent trailer inspection program that assists in assuring our customers that their products quality is not jeopardized in transit from our facility to theirs. A representative of the Quality Control Department initially inspects trailers upon arrival. If the trailer contains debris, it is completely swept out and then verified by at least two (2) different individuals; one (1) from the Shipping Department, and one (1) forklift driving individual. All trailers, no matter how clean they are, are blown out using pressurized air to assure maximum cleanliness of the trailer, further assuring that product integrity is not compromised. Trailers that cannot be swept free of debris are rejected and sent away from the facility without being loaded.