Smithfield Foods’ facilities earn national sustainability recognition

Smithfield Foods Inc. has announced that ProFood World selected the company’s Kinston, North Carolina and Sioux City, Iowa 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.

“The many members of our Smithfield Family play essential roles in the success of our industry-leading sustainability program,” said Bill Gill, assistant vice president of sustainability for Smithfield Foods. “Their innovative approach to sustainability generates unconventional projects at our facilities that propel our operations and lessen our environmental impact. We are honored to accept these awards and are proud of our Kinston and Sioux City facilities for delivering on our promise to produce good food in a responsible way.”

Smithfield’s facility in Kinston, North Carolina, was honored for its liquid smoke reduction efforts. The Kinston facility took an innovative approach to modifying their hot dog production processes that resulted in the reduction of more than 5,000 gallons of liquid smoke per year and more than $129,000 in annual cost savings. The company’s Sioux City, Iowa facility was recognized for its smoker box project, which utilizes a waterless smoker to reduce the facility’s water usage by one million gallons annually.

“Smithfield continues to be recognized as an industry-leader with multiple awards 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 has won more Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards than any other food or beverage company in the competition’s history. The company’s innovative approach to manufacturing and willingness to set ambitious goals within its robust sustainability program is a testament to Smithfield’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”

The 2018 winners were honored at the ProFood Tech trade show on March 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The trade show is a three-day gathering for food and beverage industry leaders to address solutions in manufacturing, automation, and sustainability. Since ProFood Tech occurs biennially, the ProFood Live conference in 2020 will host the 2019 Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards ceremony.

Source: Smithfield Foods Inc.

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