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Hormel Is a Cut Above
Technological Advances Help Firm Earn 6th Annual Food Quality Award.
It was 1923 when George A.
Hormel gave an employee the same sage advice undoubtedly instilled in him
while working in his uncle’s meat market during the late 1800s.
“What you get out of this business depends
wholly on how much you put into it,” he wrote. “Don’t
expect big results unless you are personally analyzing your work to see how
you can bring it up to a higher standard.”
For more than 100 years, Austin, Minn.-based Hormel
Foods Corp. — the winner of the 2006 Food Quality Award —
has cultivated that value, bringing to fruition technologies that kill
foodborne pathogens and maintaining a training program that embraces HACCP,
food security and employee hygiene.
While husband and wife judges Lawrence and Mary Ann
Platt differed on the winner of last year’s award, they were on the
same page when it came to Hormel. The couple run two Darien, Ill.-based
quality and safety consulting firms.
“The submission and supporting information
provided tangible examples of Hormel’s commitment to quality and
innovation, which are two of the stated cornerstones of their
business,” says Lawrence Platt, president of RQA Inc. “They
clearly recognize the importance of providing a quality product and have
established the framework to engage their employees and the community in
their vision.”
Mary Ann Platt, president of CNS/Food Safety, echoes
that sentiment, saying Hormel’s innovative technology improves food
safety and quality. “This, in addition to their overall community
involvement and contribution to the industry, makes them a clear winner for
the Food Quality Award,” she says.
More than 250 food safety and quality professionals
were on hand at the March presentation and reception during Stagnito
Communications’ Food Safety & Security Summit in Washington, D.C.
DuPont Qualicon hosted the event.
Bryan Farnsworth, vice president of quality management
for Hormel, accepted the award on behalf of the company, saying quality and
safety are collaborative efforts to protect consumers, meet regulatory
requirements and protect the brand name.
“This is an excellent award, and we are very
honored to receive it and join the group of Food Quality Award
winners,” he says.
Along with commitments to food quality, safety and
security, a key component in Hormel’s award entry was the application
of its high-pressure processing (HPP) technology, Truetaste. According to
Hormel officials, the process extends shelf life to 120 days because the
process kills more types of foodborne pathogens than other processes.
“The secret behind Natural Choice [deli meats]
is pressure — lots of it,” says Phillip Minerich, head of
research and development at Hormel. “Packaged slices of turkey or ham
are given a bath at 87,000 pounds per square inch in an 8-foot-tall steel
cylinder that’s like a vertical gun on the U.S.S. Arizona. The
pressure is six times what you’d find at the bottom of the Pacific
Ocean, and it squashes the life out of any pathogens on the
meat.”
The event at which the award was presented by Food
Quality magazine also gave attendees an opportunity to hear insights from
some of the world’s leading business and food safety experts.
Marc Gunther, senior writer for Fortune magazine,
discussed the changing dynamics between margin-driven efficiencies and
long-term sustainability at some of today’s most recognized companies
— including Nike, McDonald’s, Texas Instruments, Dell, S.C.
Johnson, Wal-Mart and DuPont.
“Sustainability is usually used in terms of the
environment, but I like to think of it more broadly to mean that you are
running your company in a way that leaves the world better off, not
worse,” he says. “Despite the scandals — indeed, partly
because of the scandals — corporate America is changing for the
better. You can make a difference as a leader, consumer and investor by
living your values every day.”
Other speakers included Siqun Wang, M.D., Ph.D.,
director of R&D for DuPont Qualicon, and Ravi Ramadhar, director of
business development, DuPont Qualicon.
Wang discussed how emerging technologies affect
productivity and quality standards. Ramadhar, who served as the master of
ceremonies, paid tribute to past winners of the Food Quality Award and
spoke about the commitment of DuPont to science, innovation and
sustainability.
Four of the seven judges for the 6th Annual Food
Quality Award selected Hormel, while two voted for West Liberty Foods LLC,
West Liberty, Iowa (the seventh judge abstained). Other entries included
Standard Meat Co., Dallas; Edward G. Sherwin Consultants LLC, Lutherville,
Md.; Hermann Laue Spice Co. Inc. (Helecanada). Uxbridge, Ontario; and
McDonald’s Puerto Rico.
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