How a Connected Food System Leads to Unmatched Pork Quality in the Meatcase
A meatcase full of restaurant-quality pork is no longer a nice-to-have for consumers, it’s a must have. As more and more customers strive for better meal experiences at home, Prairie Fresh is here to meet their expectations by setting the standard for high-quality pork, from farm to fork
“We have a unique perspective on how pork should be raised and produced that we call the Prairie Fresh Way. It’s allowed us to deliver consistent quality for decades,” said Ozlem Worpel, vice president, marketing and innovation, Seaboard Foods. “We are shining a light on our approach to help meat buyers understand what’s behind the Prairie Fresh brand and how it will help their businesses.”
The Prairie Fresh Way
Achieving the standards set by the Prairie Fresh Way starts with cultivating a connected food system through collaboration with the farms, processing plants and networked supply chain colleagues across each step in the production process. Beyond production, the Prairie Fresh Way informs how Prairie Fresh services their customers, helping them ensure they bring the best products that generate optimal meatcase sales and satisfy consumers.
“The connected food system begins before the pigs are even conceived,” said Dr. Ian Levis, DVM, Seaboard Foods. “Knowing the standards that Prairie Fresh has set guides us in every step from conception to our specially formulated nutritional programs, animal practices, biosecurity, and more. Prairie Fresh owns the plants which means we have better tracing capabilities and can gain insights to ensure the end product is safe, wholesome and nutritious from our American-owned farms to your families.”
The animal care protocols that Prairie Fresh have in place go beyond industry standards and prioritize individual care for each animal. Overseen by a team of veterinarians, like Dr. Levis, DVM, the comprehensive programs enacted promote a healthy and comfortable environment from farm to transportation to processing.
A Focus on Quality
As with animal care, every step of the connected food system falls back on quality and transparency. “Being the connected system that we are, we have quality assurance technicians on each line to check that the product is being made to the specifications of the customer,” said KayLonni Williams, director of FSQA, Seaboard Foods. “By owning the farms, we can also adhere to what the absolute best practices are for our buyers and give them confidence in knowing where their pork comes from, how it was produced, and who produced it.” Prairie Fresh’s ability to control the entire process means customers receive proven, unmatched quality in a range of products customers will love.
“Controlling every step of the way leads to reliable quality which means consistent color, edibility, tenderness, marbling and even the iodine values which help to develop a brighter white fat,” said Pat Watkins, vice president, retail sales at Seaboard Foods. “All of these desirable attributes tie back to our farms utilizing the same nutritional diets, animal care, genetics and processes.” Plus, all Prairie Fresh pork is trimmed to specification for better yield and consistency in the meat case.
Beyond the Meat
As a purpose-driven company, Prairie Fresh not only takes pride in how they raise pigs and produce pork, but also in how they care for the environment and their communities. Committed to protecting the world around us, Prairie Fresh has policies in place that ensure their farms and operating facilities meet or exceed all applicable environmental requirements. “From on-farm audits to employing environmental best practices, we are dedicated to protecting the Earth,” said Rick Martinez, construction and maintenance manager, Seaboard Foods. “The company also employs ongoing monitoring to help identify ways to conserve and reduce the use of natural resources.”
The Prairie Fresh Way is a full circle perspective that includes giving back in the communities where the company operates, from schools to hospitals to charities. In addition, Prairie Fresh has supported Operation BBQ Relief since 2015 to feed people impacted by natural disasters. To date, they’ve donated enough pork to serve more than 3.5 million meals.
“Through our connected food system, we’ve connected the dots from our farms to our communities, said Ozlem Worpel, vice president, marketing and innovation, Seaboard Foods. “Thanks to the support of our loyal meat buyers and consumers, we know we’ve grown to where we are and it’s our desire to live up to our reputation of having deep meat knowledge, superior service, and quality products that drives us every day.”
To learn more, visit prairiefreshway.com.