H-E-B University, ConAgra Receive SQFI Achievement Awards

H-E-B University, ConAgra Foods and Dairy Farms of America’s Fort Morgan facility were among the six recipients chosen to receive 2011 Quality Achievement Awards by the Food Marketing Institute’s Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI).

SQFI also recognized Rena Pierami, division VP of Silliker Global Certification Services Pty. Ltd., as this year’s individual Outstanding Achievement Award winner, in light of her continuous dedication and leadership within the SQF program, in addition to Lerinda Farms and EAGLE Registrations Inc.

“Our Outstanding Achievement Award winners are examples of the type of partnerships to which all our stakeholders can aspire in assuring safety of the food supply,” said SQFI’s SVP Robert Garfield. “Retailers can only succeed in business if they put the health and wellness of their customers first by selling food products that meet rigorous, credible, food safety management systems, like SQFI’s program.”

SQFI established the awards program to recognize individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to its mission of delivering consistent, globally recognized food safety and quality certification programs based on sound scientific principles, consistently applied across all industry sectors, and valued by all stakeholders.

A closer look at SQFI’s Quality Achievement Award winners appears below:

Primary Producer of the Year: Lerinda Farms Pty Ltd
Since working with SQF during its start in 1999, Lerinda Farms of Queensland Australia has stressed the importance of focusing on controlling food quality and safety even at the field packing level. Over a decade and many hurdles later, Lerinda Farms now carries a Level 3 excellent rating.

Manufacturers of the Year: ConAgra Foods and Dairy Farms of America/Fort Morgan Facility
With over 24,000 employees and 40 plants certified by the SQFI program since 2008, Omaha-Neb.-based ConAgra Foods is one of the earliest US companies to adopt the program. From CEO down, food safety culture is embraced throughout the entire organization.

Dairy Foods of America-Fort Morgan facility, meanwhile, stresses the importance of the providing safe food for their consumers and understands that food quality and safety is driven by their employees, who are all involved in the support of their internal SQF program.

Training Center of the Year: H-E-B University, Center for Manufacturing Excellence
Established in 2008 and having since trained over 580 participants, H-E-B University offers a value-added licensed SQF course, as well as HACCP, Advanced HACCP and QA Fundamentals courses to both its partners and suppliers.

Certification Body of the Year: Eagle Registrations Inc.
Eagle Registrations Inc. has been providing value-added third-party registration and assessment services since 1994 and continues since joining SQF in 2009. In addition to their expertise in the assessment process, they take pride in their employees’ vast experiences which they use to strengthen businesses in their strategic processes and bottom line.

Outstanding Achievement Award
Rena Pierami, division VP of Silliker Global Certification Services Pty. Ltd., earned her award as a result of her superior dedication and support to endorse and improve the SQFI program around the globe. Since her involvement in 2006, Pierami has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and continues to encourage technical and auditing team members to excel at every part of the process.

More information on SQFI's Quality Achievement Award Winners is availableby clicking here.