Butterball, LLC – the nation's largest poultry processor – received five Safety Recognition Awards from the American Meat Institute (AMI), during the group's annual conference on April 7 in Denver, CO.
The AMI Safety Awards honor meat processors that have implemented effective worker safety programs for their employees. The multiple award levels are determined by evaluating overall incident rates and components of each plant's safety program.
The following awards were presented to Butterball's five processing locations:
- Huntsville, AR and Mt. Olive, NC received the Award of Honor
- Carthage, MO received the Award of Merit
- Ozark, AR received the Award of Commendation
- Jonesboro AR received the Award of Certificate
"We are excited to have five of our plants recognized by such an prominent industry organization such as the American Meat Institute," said Brian Rodgers, director of safety and risk management, " Worker safety is an integral component of Butterball's business practices, so receiving this award further motivates our company to continue expanding successful safety programs."
Occupational safety is sometimes perceived as presenting challenges for companies in the food processing industry. By utilizing this awards program, the American Meat Institute is working to increase awareness about the importance of worker safety and encouraging processors to develop safety programs that meet or exceed industry standards.
"Butterball is a leader in the worker safety arena," continued Rodgers. "In addition to these recent accolades from AMI, Butterball has received national recognition for its worker safety programs from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program (OSHA VPP)." The company holds four of the nine poultry processing OSHA VPP STAR sites in the United States at its Carthage, MO; Jonesboro, AR; Ozark, AR; and Huntsville, AR plants. These recognitions alone are a testament to Butterball's commitment to safety, as the company has become a part of the 2,000 plants nationwide, out of more than 8,000,000 eligible work sites, that receive this elite honor.
About Butterball, LLC:
Butterball, LLC, the largest producer of turkey products in the United States, is headquartered in Garner, N.C. For more than 50 years, the iconic brand's succulent whole bird products have been a central part of special moments. Today, company also has a broad array of offerings for retail, deli and foodservice that help make meals something to celebrate every day. Butterball products are enjoyed domestically and internationally. The company's three-pronged approach to Doing Business Right focuses on self-governance, sustainability and social responsibility. The initiative plays a key role in providing internal oversight for integrating values that are important to the company.
As the industry leader in quality and food safety, the company employs numerous processes to ensure the health of flocks and implements recognized prevention measures to exceed food safety standards in its six plants, located in North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas and Missouri. In addition, Butterball has surpassed important workplace safety and health benchmarks set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program.
For more information about Butterball, visit www.butterball.com. You can also call 1-800-BUTTERBALL for answers to your most puzzling questions about turkey preparation.