Finger Lakes Fish set out to modernize food safety. It became the world’s first BAP-certified RAS coho salmon farm.
Finger Lakes Fish, marketed under the LocalCoho brand, was built around a different approach to salmon farming: raising premium Coho salmon on land using Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) technology.
At its 43,000-square-foot facility in Auburn, New York, salmon were raised from egg to harvest in a controlled, land-based environment designed to support local production, responsible resource use, fish health, and consistent product quality.
As the operation prepared to bring its salmon to market, its food safety program needed to keep pace with the sophistication of its production system. Finger Lakes Fish needed help developing and digitizing its HACCP plan, reviewing SOPs, organizing food safety documentation, training its team, and preparing for Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and FDA requirements.
The company partnered with FoodReady to bring its food safety plans, documents, HACCP records, and daily checklists into one cloud-based system while working with food safety consultants to strengthen audit readiness.
The result was a more connected food safety operation built to support one of the most innovative land-based salmon farms in the industry.
Modern food safety management for a modern aquaculture operation.
World's First
RAS Coho salmon farm to earn BAP certification
43,000 sq. ft.
SQF Certified
Facility subsequently achieved
One Platform
HACCP plans, SOPs, documents
Mobile HACCP & Checklist Logging
Fewer separate software systems
Cloud-based document management
Advanced aquaculture needed an equally modern food safety program.
Finger Lakes Fish was not building a conventional salmon farm.
Its Auburn facility used Recirculating Aquaculture Systems to raise Coho salmon indoors from egg to harvest. The controlled production model gave the company greater oversight of its farming environment, but it also created a complex operation in which food safety procedures, records, documentation, employee activities, and certification requirements had to work together.
As the company prepared for commercial production, Finger Lakes Fish needed to develop a food safety system capable of supporting that operation.
The team needed assistance with HACCP plan development and SOP review, along with preparation for an upcoming Best Aquaculture Practices audit and FDA requirements.
At the same time, managing food safety through separate files, websites, databases, and applications would add unnecessary complexity to an already sophisticated operation.
Finger Lakes Fish needed more than static food safety documents.
It needed a system its QA team could maintain, its employees could actually use on the production floor, and its management could rely on as certification and regulatory expectations increased.
What the operation needed
- A facility-specific HACCP program - Food safety controls aligned with salmon processing operations
- Reviewed and organized SOPs - Clear procedures that could be maintained as operations evolved
- BAP audit preparation - Documentation and controls prepared for aquaculture certification
- FDA readiness - Food safety records structured for regulatory requirements
- Digital daily records - Moving HACCP monitoring and checklists into an accessible system
- Centralized document control - Reducing reliance on disconnected files, websites, and databases
- Employee adoptio - A practical system employees could use from mobile devices
How Finger Lakes Fish built food safety into its RAS operation.
Finger Lakes Fish combined FoodReady software with hands-on food safety consulting to move from documentation development to daily execution.
Food Safety Program Review
The engagement began with the food safety requirements of Finger Lakes Fish's salmon facility.
FoodReady worked with the team on HACCP plan writing and SOP review, helping structure the documentation around the facility's processes and food safety responsibilities.
Rather than treating food safety plans as standalone documents, the goal was to create a program that could be maintained and used throughout daily operations.
HACCP Plans, SOPs & Checklists Digitized
Finger Lakes Fish's HACCP plan, Standard Operating Procedures, and operational checklists were digitized inside FoodReady.
This transformed key components of the food safety program from separate documents into information that could be accessed, maintained, and executed through one system.
The QA team could edit and adjust its HACCP program as operations changed instead of relying solely on static files.
Centralized Document Management
Existing food safety documents were transferred into FoodReady's cloud-based document management system.
Instead of maintaining critical information across different locations, the team could organize food safety documentation in a centralized environment.
This also reduced the need for multiple independent websites, databases, and software applications supporting food safety activities.
BAP & FDA Preparation
FoodReady consultants worked with Finger Lakes Fish as the operation prepared for its Best Aquaculture Practices audit and FDA requirements.
The process brought together the company's documented food safety program, procedures, monitoring activities, and supporting records so the team could approach regulatory and certification requirements in a more organized way.
Finger Lakes Fish went on to become the world's first Recirculating Aquaculture System Coho salmon farm to receive BAP certification.
Employee Onboarding & Training
Digitizing a food safety program only works when employees can use it in day-to-day operations.
FoodReady onboarded the Finger Lakes Fish team and trained employees to:
- Access the food safety system
- Complete digital checklists
- Log HACCP activities
- Use the mobile application
- Edit and maintain HACCP documentation
- Complete required food safety records
This helped extend the food safety system beyond the QA office and into routine production activities.
Mobile Execution
Finger Lakes Fish employees used FoodReady's mobile capabilities for HACCP logging and checklist completion.
Instead of completing every record through separate paper forms or disconnected systems, employees could capture required information closer to where the work was being performed.
For QA, that meant food safety plans and daily execution could operate within the same system.
A More Consolidated Technology Stack
One of the practical benefits became apparent as the company began using more of FoodReady's functionality.
HACCP management, checklists, mobile records, and document management could all live within the same platform.
That allowed Finger Lakes Fish to reduce its dependence on separate applications, websites, and databases used to support its food safety program.
What FoodReady delivered
SOP review & management
Digital food safety checklists
BAP audit preparation
FDA readiness support
Cloud document management
Mobile HACCP logging
Employee onboarding & training
Centralized food safety records
Digital checklist execution
Certification-ready processes. Less software complexity. Food safety built into daily operations.
Finger Lakes Fish transformed its food safety documentation into a connected digital program supporting both certification requirements and daily production.
FoodReady helped the company digitize its HACCP plan, SOPs, and checklists while bringing existing food safety documents into one cloud-based environment.
Employees could use mobile devices to complete HACCP records and checklists, while the QA team maintained greater control over the plans and documents behind those activities.
The operation also worked with FoodReady consultants as it prepared for its BAP audit and FDA requirements.
Finger Lakes Fish subsequently became the world's first RAS Coho salmon farm to receive Best Aquaculture Practices certification, setting an important benchmark for land-based salmon aquaculture.
The Auburn facility later also achieved SQF certification, reinforcing the company's commitment to formal food safety and quality management standards.
But the benefit was not limited to certification.
Consolidating multiple food safety activities within FoodReady also helped reduce the number of separate systems the company needed to maintain.
"Using FoodReady has reduced our overall product expenses for websites and databases."
Built for food safety first, so everything else connects.
One food safety system for a highly controlled production environment.
For an RAS facility, control is fundamental to the production model. Finger Lakes Fish wanted the same level of organization in the way its food safety program was managed.
FoodReady brought the plans, procedures, records, and people behind that program closer together.
HACCP without the document maze
FoodReady's HACCP builder gave the QA team a more practical way to develop, maintain, and adjust its HACCP program without managing disconnected versions across separate files and locations.
Records where the work happens
Mobile HACCP logging and digital checklists allowed employees to complete required food safety activities as part of routine operations instead of relying entirely on paperwork managed away from the production floor.
Documents in one place
HACCP plans, SOPs, checklists, and supporting food safety documentation could be organized within the same cloud-based environment, making information easier to maintain and access.
Software plus food safety expertise
Finger Lakes Fish was not simply looking for another application. The company needed help writing HACCP plans, reviewing SOPs, and preparing for certification and regulatory requirements.
FoodReady combined the technology with access to food safety consultants who could help build the program behind it.
Ready to take the next step with us?
In 15–30 minutes we'll map FoodReady to your process, plug in your real HACCP plan, and show you the auditor's view before the call ends.
Speak with our Expert Consultants
15–30 minutes. We map FoodReady to your process, plug in your real HACCP plan, and show you the auditor view before the call ends.