Food Quality Award Recognizes Industry Best Practices

Serving as a beacon of best practices in food safety, the winner of the Food Quality Award sponsored by DuPont Qualicon is chosen based on its exceptional contributions to food safety and customer satisfaction with a positive impact on business results. This year’s award will again showcase one standout company’s efforts through a disciplined and documented program. Scheduled on May 1 during the Food Safety Summit at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland, the 12th annual award will surely be closely watched by many food manufacturers and processors following the latest proposed rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act.

This year’s recipient will be in prestigious company that includes past winners such as Hans Kissle, Mastronardi Produce, Michigan Turkey Producers, Fieldale Farms Further Processing, West Liberty Foods, Hormel, Tyson Foods, Sysco, and Beef Products, Inc. Each was recognized for its dedication and achievement of a North American quality assurance/quality control team that has made exceptional contributions to food safety and consumer satisfaction. Open to food processors, food service providers and food retailers, this year’s contest will be judged by a panel of industry veterans who have extensive experience in manufacturing excellence.

“DuPont is pleased to sponsor the Annual Food Quality Award, which honors a food company that has shown food safety and quality improvements are good for business. By providing examples of best practices in manufacturing and good use of technology in quality assurance, these winners demonstrate that a safety-minded culture can result in positive business impact and, ultimately, a safer food supply,” said Doug Willrett, global leader for food protection, DuPont Nutrition & Health.

In addition to receiving the award at the Summit, this year’s winner will also be featured later in the year in an article in Food Quality describing its manufacturing processes.

Past years’ winners were selected for a variety of outstanding manufacturing processes. In 2012, Hans Kissle, a maker of prepared foods, salads, and desserts, was chosen for its efforts to enhance food quality and safety by investing in technology and training, adhering to a HACCP plan, and using independent auditors. Company officials also cited its commitment to thorough training to ensure employees closely adhere to its highly disciplined manufacturing processes.

The award is part of the summit’s three-day focus on educational and informational activities for the food industry. Now in its 15th year, the conference includes training sessions on subjects as varied as HACCP, FDA regulations, state and local rules, traceability, allergen control, food liability, pathogen detection, and many others.

“The Food Safety Summit provides Solutions for Today, Planning for Tomorrow, with a carefully developed education program designed to address the critical issues facing food producers, processors, retailers, distributors, and regulators,” said Scott Wolters, director of tradeshows and conferences, Food Safety Summit. “Our goal is to advance food safety by providing relevant food safety information and solutions across the entire food supply chain, while keeping the industry, businesses and consumers safe. This year the EEAC has developed a stellar program addressing some of the most pressing concerns while providing the most relevant solutions.”

A key session will be moderated by Craig Henry of Deloitte & Touche, LLC. He and a panel will discuss and debate the estimated $3 billion required to properly implement FSMA and address questions about the new regulations and how it covers preventative controls, performance standards, traceability requirements, and user fees. The panel will examine its impact on the U.S. food safety policy and on international trading partners’ food safety regulations and/or policies as well as the effects on supply chain logistics.