Each year, nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide fall ill due to foodborne illness. Yet one of the most overlooked supports of food safety lies at the very root of the food chain: growing media.
On this World Food Safety Day, we’re spotlighting how Jiffy is changing that. Janaka Weerasuriya, Global QHES Manager at Jiffy Group explains how Jiffy’s ISO 22000-certified, seven-step Food Safety Program helps growers minimize risk, meet rising regulatory demands, and build long-term consumer trust from seed to harvest.
What inspired Jiffy to launch such a robust food safety program in the first place?
JW: Every year, approximately 600 million people fall ill due to foodborne pathogens, and over 400,000 die as a result. That’s a staggering global health issue. We realized that growing media plays a critical yet often overlooked role in food safety. The lack of existing research made it clear that we needed to step up, identify risks in our own supply chain, and help our customers safeguard theirs.
Can you give us an overview of Jiffy’s 7-step food safety approach?
JW: Certainly. It starts with sourcing the highest-quality raw materials, followed by certified processing according to ISO 22000 standards. We conduct frequent lab testing, offer customer-focused food safety training, and provide a full product line. developed with contamination prevention in mind. Sustainability is also integrated into every step, and we maintain full transparency through end to end traceability systems and regular reporting.
How does the ISO 22000 certification influence your operations?
JW: ISO 22000 gives us a framework to implement preventive food safety practices, not just reactive ones. It guides us in identifying Pre-requisite Programs (PRPs), Operational Pre-requisite Programs (OPRPs), and Critical Control Points (CCPs) through HACCP principles. The standard also enforces strict hygiene protocols and ensures a consistent global benchmark is maintained across every phase—from raw material sourcing to the final packaged product.
In what ways does Jiffy collaborate directly with growers on food safety?
JW: We want to provide growers with both materials and knowledge, so we provide tailored workshops and technical support to address the specific microbiological and operational challenges our customers face. It's not a one-size-fits-all model. Rather, we continuously collect feedback to improve our program over time.
How do you see the role of food safety evolving in the horticulture sector?
JW: Food safety has transformed from being a box to check to becoming a brand differentiator. Consumers and regulators are asking tougher questions, and rightfully so. Growers who can confidently prove their inputs are safe have a competitive advantage. At Jiffy, our goal is to be the partner that empowers them to meet and exceed those expectations.
Have food safety questions? Send an email to our Global Food Safety Team at GFST@jiffygroup.com.
Let’s work together
Jiffy is a leading global supplier of premium growing media and solution thinking. We aim to serve you, our customers in plant propagation and cultivation, to achieve better results with fewer worries. We do this by continually improving, innovating, and working toward our common goals, based on scientific research, teamwork, and decades of experience. Let’s develop sustainable plant growing solutions together: Let’s start today!
