Claudio Olave

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Director

Claudio is largely responsible for ensuring Sun World’s food safety standards are met and that Sun World’s varieties continue to be admired around the world for their high quality.

Before joining Sun World, Claudio served as quality control inspector, field inspector, business development manager and, most recently, U.S. managing director for Chilean-based Decofrut. He also managed quality control for Chiquita in both the United States and Mexico. He couples this extensive experience with a degree in agronomy with an emphasis in horticulture from the University of Chile in his homeland. Claudio’s impressive background serves him well as he continues to ensure that Sun World produces only the highest quality produce for consumers to enjoy.

As for the Sun World variety that Claudio most enjoys? He likes snacking on cold bunches of SCARLOTTA SEEDLESS® brand grapes after lunch.

Cecilia Rivera

Quality Assurance Manager, Grapes and Peppers

Cecilia has spent 25 years learning the ins and outs of the produce industry, the last 18 at Sun World. This impressive record has earned her the respect of coworkers and industry professionals. As quality assurance manager for grapes and peppers, she holds every piece of fruit picked up to the highest standard. Her vigilance benefits customers and consumers around the world.

On her off time you’ll find her working on the grill. She likes to toss cheese – stuffed and bacon-wrapped Sweet Mini Peppers on the BBQ. But if she could only eat one Sun World product for the rest of her life, MIDNIGHT BEAUTY® brand grapes win hands down.

Monica Escoto

Quality Assurance Manager for Stonefruit and Citrus

Sun World counts on employees like Monica to ensure every piece of stonefruit and citrus arrives fresh and ready to thrill your palate. Monica boasts 20 years of working with produce. She reports and inspects product for safety and quality from the field to the loading docks. In 2008, Sun World deservingly awarded her its Quality Assurance Award of Achievement. Monica also helps educate others about food safety. She assisted Dr. Carlos Crisostos, Celia M. Cantin, and Kevin R. Day with publishing an article entitled: Evaluation of the Effect of Different Modified Atmosphere Packaging Box Liners on the Quality and Shelf life of “Friar” plums.

Monica is a USDA certified inspector who’s addicted to SCARLOTTA SEEDLESS® brand grapes. She likens them to eating potato chips because you can’t have just one.

Daniel Rosas

Quality Assurance Supervisor of Cold Storages

Growing superior produce is only half the battle. Fruits and vegetables need to be properly stored while being delivered to customers and consumers worldwide. That’s where Daniel comes in. He’s been working on farms and in the agricultural industry for most of his life. In 2006, he joined Sun World and is currently charged with reviewing, interpreting and implementing changing audit standards for the Sun World food safety programs (Tesco, Woolworth Quality Assurance, GlobalGap). He’s also responsible for interpreting and disseminating USDA grades and standards; and assisting with product shelf life evaluation trials, among other tasks. To further his food safety education, he completed HACCP, GlobalGap and Kern County sponsored classes on “Preparing Communities for Agro-Terrorism” and “Preparedness and Response to Agricultural Terrorism.” Daniel is ready for anything.

When it comes to pairing various Sun World produce, Daniel loves blending Sun World peaches, plums and peppers with grape tomatoes for an undeniably good salsa.

Manuel Montejano Melgoza

Quality Assurance Supervisor, Peppers

When you bite into a crisp and sweet Sun World red pepper, you can thank Manuel. As a member of the quality assurance team, he works tirelessly in our Coachella, Arvin and Oxnard farms inspecting fruit in the field, then again before the produce ships out to customers. It’s a job he’s been doing for a decade, getting his start at Baloean Packing in Fresno, California and working for a year at Rancho Harvest in Guadalupe, Mexico. You might say growing great produce is in his blood. His parents were field workers. He grew up understanding the delicate and often hard work that growing flavorful produce entails.

Manuel’s favorite Sun World pairing is any one of the company’s signature varieties of grapes with AMBER CREST® brand peaches.