Stampede Meat Inc., a producer of sous vide products, is announcing its latest safety achievement after three of its plants received AA+ ratings from Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards, or BRCGS, a trade association that provides food safety and quality certification.

Stampede's plants in Bridgeview, Ill., Oak Lawn, Ill., and Sunland Park, N.M., were selected for unannounced audits from the BRCGS in 2023. The AA rating earned by Stampede is the highest possible score from the certification program, while the plus sign indicates a bonus for the unannounced audit. These three facilities have earned the AA rating every year since 2020, and each has scored at least an A for the past 10 years. The Stampede North facility also achieved an AA+ with its first unannounced audit last year. Stampede's new Georgia location spent this year transitioning over to the BRCGS system and received an A rating on their first-ever BRCGS audit. All Stampede facilities will be audited to identical high standards. BRCGS standards are important because they are either accepted or required by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, 50% of the top 25 global manufacturers and 60% of the top 10 global quick-service restaurants.

Under the new BRCGS guidelines introduced last year, facilities in the certification program will face unannounced audits once every three years. Companies are given a four-month window when the audit may occur, and they have to be ready every single day during that window for their lengthy inspection. These were the first unannounced audits for Stampede's facilities.

"Stampede has a constant commitment to the highest possible levels of food safety at all times. I am incredibly proud of our team for the work they put in on a daily basis to keep our customers safe and happy. These audit results demonstrate that we are not only capable of excellence on demand, but that our Stampede family shows up with top-tier dedication to the industry-leading brands we support every single day," said Stampede President and CEO Brock Furlong.

The Stampede Food Safety Team implements rigorous daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly checks and procedures to ensure that each Stampede facility is exceeding USDA standards for food safety. Daily quality checks start the day before turning the floor over for production. After two shifts of production, a sanitation shift ends each day. Stampede also audits themselves on a regular basis to check everything from their programs to minute aspects of their facilities.

"We have a really strong program and a passionate team across our entire network," said Ann Clarton, senior director of food safety and quality assurance. "An unannounced audit requires you to be in your best condition for an extended period of time, but our team is prepared all the time on behalf of our customers and our commitment to safety. This is how we operate. We were ready for this."

Stampede is committed to creating a food safety culture that helps keep safety top of mind for all employees. In addition to their ongoing quarterly food safety meetings, 2023 saw the first annual Stampede Food Safety Week event for employees. Stampede leadership feels strongly that keeping a robust food safety program requires more than just great policies. It requires full buy-in from the company culture itself. This culture of safety in every area has led Stampede to work with some of the biggest restaurants in the world.

Source: Stampede Meat Inc.