Suppliers that qualified for the Spirit of Excellence Award maintained a minimum supplier rating index score of 92 throughout a 12-month period.

These suppliers are from a variety of areas including contractors, pork procurement, provisions, ingredients, packaging and transportation.

Food-grade lubricants, one of the essential elements in protecting both machinery and proteins during the production process, are becoming more powerful. Responding to the growing demand by meat producers for greases that can better withstand cleanings and operate under extreme conditions, developers are enhancing products that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for use in plants where there is the possibility of incidental food contact and subsequent contamination.