We treat our soil with the utmost care, which allows our growers to reduce their usage of chemicals. The resulting plants are healthier and better able to withstand harsh weather, insects, and disease. Farming onions “The Gill Way” has reduced our growers’ use of nitrogen, helping preserve the environment and our precious resources.
In 2009, Gills Onions made a goal to achieve zero waste in our processing, warehouse, and office facilities. We track all of our resource usage from the types of fuel we use to electricity and water. We are also members of The Climate Registry, to which we have historically provided a greenhouse gas emissions report.
In addition, we have been partnering with Cascade Energy and Southern California Edison Company in a Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program. By investing in major capital projects during the first two years of the SEM partnership, we’ve achieved a 21% reduction in our annual energy consumption.
Through the implementation of wide-range recycling programs and the expansion of waste reduction initiatives, our company’s waste diversion reached 99.2% in 2018. Gills Onions has also reduced water consumption by 40%. That means we conserve enough water each year to meet the annual needs of 2,900 households in our home state of California.
Our commitment to operating sustainably is just another reason you can feel good about choosing Gills Onions.
We aim to set the standard in food safety. Since our onions are the best in the industry, it’s only fitting that they be the cleanest and the safest, too. So we go above and beyond to protect the integrity of our product through every step of processing and shipment. For example, in recent years, we’ve overhauled more than 32,000 square feet of our facilities to replace walls and ceilings with a continuous epoxy and fiberglass material. This helps prevent the presence of even the smallest seams where water could collect and allow bacteria to grow, and it made it easier for our staff to clean and sanitize every inch of our plant. And we ensure that our onions are just as pristine as the place they are processed.
Unpeeled onions can bring dirt and bacteria into your kitchen. Whole peeled onions offer a more hygienic alternative. You’re guaranteed the safest, cleanest onions available — all ready-to-use with consistent 100% yield.
Every Gills onion goes through an HACCP-approved cleaning process with chlorinated water, metal detection, and strict temperature controls. Our in-house laboratory is fully staffed with experts who oversee and verify both product and equipment cleanliness.
Our program is SQF certified. We’ve also received verification from the U.S. Army, NSF GMP, and NSF Quality Assurance International (USDA Organic).