Western's Smokehouse Awarded Food Safety Certification

Western's Smokehouse, LLC, a Greentop, Mo.-based manufacturer of shelf-stable meat snacks, has been awarded the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 2 certification under the Global Food Safety Initiative Edition 7.2. The certification is for the processing of meat snacks, including snack sticks, shelf stable sausages and jerky products.

SQF certification is achieved when a company demonstrates exceptional quality control and food safety practices. A third-party audit is conducted by a qualified inspector to evaluate different aspects of a company's food safety program, including: personnel practices, plant maintenance and cleanliness, food defense plan, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans. It provides validation to many national and international retailer and foodservice providers that a company has food safety programs in place and that those programs are followed.

SQF is a globally recognized certification as a food safety management system and is administered by the SQF Institute.

"Achieving SQF certification demonstrates our continued commitment to providing premium quality meat snacks for our partners and customers," says Kevin Western, chief operating officer. "This is an accomplishment of which all of our employees can be proud, and we look forward to continued growth in the meat snack category.,

Western's Smokehouse meat snack sticks are currently available nationwide in convenience stores, supermarkets, K-12 schools and other assorted retail chains. 

Western's Smokehouse Hickory Smoked Meat Snack Sticks are made with high-quality tender cuts of meat and seasoned with an award-winning blend of herbs and spices, and then hickory smoked for natural goodness. The fully-cooked, shelf-stable products are individually wrapped and available in eight savory flavors.