Solid Waste Reduction, Innovative Packaging, and Food Waste Recovery Projects Earn Industry Recognition, Highlight Smithfield’s Leadership in Manufacturing Practices
SMITHFIELD, Va., July 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce that ProFood World selected its Salt Lake City, Utah; Kinston, North Carolina; and Middlesboro, Kentucky, facilities as winners of the 2018 Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards (SEMA). The annual awards program honors companies for exceptional sustainability achievements in food, beverage, and consumer products manufacturing.
“At Smithfield, some of our most innovative and impactful sustainability projects begin with the teams at our facilities,” said Bill Gill, assistant vice president of sustainability for Smithfield Foods. “These award-winning facilities are just a few examples of how our on-the-ground teams are reducing our environmental footprint while producing products consumers love. We are excited to receive these awards, which show that we are delivering on our promise to produce ‘Good food. Responsibly.â ’”
Smithfield’s facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, was honored for its plastic wrap savings project. With a minor investment in equipment upgrades, the facility prevented 16,800 pounds of solid waste from going to landfills and saved almost $16,000 in one year. A meat recovery project at the company’s Kinston, North Carolina, facility earned an award for its ability to save a significant amount of usable product from becoming waste that would otherwise be shipped off for rendering. By reducing the thickness of packaging around ham steaks, Smithfield’s Middlesboro, Kentucky facility now uses 23 percent less packaging–saving more than $170,000.
“Smithfield earned three of the nine awards presented at this year’s Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards program,” said Joyce Fassl, editor-in-chief of ProFood World magazine and program director for ProFood Live. “Smithfield continues to lead the industry in sustainability efforts, having won more Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards than any other food or beverage company in the competition’s history.”
The 2018 winners were honored at the ProFood Live conference in June in Chicago, Illinois. The annual event is a one-day gathering for industry leaders to address solutions in manufacturing, automation, and sustainability.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus® and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.
Contact:
Diana Souder
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
(757) 357-1675
dsouder@smithfield.com
