“People are concerned today with food safety and with food ingredients,” said Stewart Leeth, vice president of regulatory affairs and chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods. “Across the company, whether at our farms or our plants, food safety is non-negotiable. Together, we have established a culture where safety and quality is every employee’s responsibility and where transparency in our practices is paramount.”
Contained within the report is information on Smithfield’s leading food safety and quality initiatives and certifications, such as:
• Maintaining zero United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) recalls of any food product for the third consecutive year (2014-2016).
• Expanding its online ingredient glossary, a first for the meat industry that includes more than 100 definitions of ingredients that can be found in Smithfield products.
• Receiving an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) certification at its Denison, Iowa, microbiology facility — one of only 283 organizations accredited nationwide.
• Investing approximately $20 million on capital improvements and projects, including upgrading refrigeration systems, enhancing cleaning and sanitation systems and installing new environmental testing equipment.
• Retaining its 100 percent Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification, the international gold standard for food safety, at all applicable Smithfield Foods facilities, for the fifth year in a row.
• Innovating with the launch of Smithfield’s antibiotic-free line of pork products under its Pure Farms brand, along with many other product innovations.
“By maintaining the highest food safety and quality standards, Smithfield continues to build trust with consumers and customers, and produces some of the safest food in the world,” said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and CEO for Smithfield Foods. “In addition, our increased focus on product innovation will accelerate Smithfield’s growth in the future.”
The Food Safety & Quality section is now available at smithfieldfoods.com/food-safety-quality. The last installment of Smithfield’s 2016 Sustainability Report – Helping Communities and People – will be available May 22, with the complete report.
