Articles by Sam Gazdziak

Consumers want products that are good as well as being good for you. For those shoppers who refuse to sacrifice a quality eating experience in favor of health attributes, a product line like Thin ‘n Trim is tailor-made for them.

Regional sausage favorites can be found all over the United States. Wisconsin has bratwursts, and Louisiana has the Andouille. In central Nebraska, it was the Wahoo Wiener.

A part of every trip I take for Independent Processor is the gamble that I can actually find the meat company in question, armed with my notoriously lousy sense of direction and a GPS that occasionally thinks I’ve driven off the road when I’m on an interstate.

Earlier this year, Zagat published the results of its annual Dining Trends Survey. Ten thousand diners were quizzed on their dining habits, and as part of the survey, they gave opinions about various trendy foods, including kale, Brussels sprouts, beets and bacon.

The American Association of Meat Processor’s annual convention was so popular, even Abraham Lincoln turned up. The former president, or someone who looked very much like him, was on hand to cut the ribbon for this year’s convention in Springfield, Ill.

My trip to visit this year’s Independent Processor of the Year, Dole & Bailey, also left me with an afternoon to walk part of the Freedom Trail.

In a city that is filled to the brim with monuments, buildings and other pieces of American history, Faneuil Hall is one of Boston’s great treasures.

As part of my duties for Independent Processor and The National Provisioner, I have to look through the news for meat industry-related stories.

This year’s Top 100 meat and poultry processors report features more billion-dollar companies than ever before, and for the first time, every single company on the list has sales of $100 million or more.