Schnucks Takes a Stand for Food Quality and Safety

All consumers should have the information needed to make informed food choices, no matter where they shop. That is according to  Schnuck Markets, Inc.  President and Chief Operating Officer Todd Schnuck.

"Our 'Peace of Mind Quality awareness campaign will attempt to answer questions that those outside our industry may not know to ask," said Schnuck.  "We hope to start a conversation with customers about the foods they buy for their families and about some of the things Schnucks does each day to ensure food quality and safety."

Schnuck added, "For instance, Schnucks brand fresh beef, pork and chicken don't need ingredient labels; they are products of the U.S.A. and all 100% meat.  We do not add water, salt or preservatives such as carbon monoxide to our packaging (CO preserves the color of meat).  While these are accepted industry practices, we choose to set the bar higher."

"Our Certified Angus Beef brand, for instance, passes 10 more quality specifications than USDA Choice.  Schnucks ground beef is not prepackaged and shipped to us.  Our butchers grind beef throughout the day," Schnuck said.  "You'll find the same high quality selection in our Deli departments.  Food guidelines allow a sandwich to be kept in the cooler for up to six days from the day it was made.  We intentionally shorten that cooler time in order to ensure freshness.

"These are just a few examples," Schnuck said. "Across the store you will find many more practices and standards that help set Schnucks apart from our competition."

According to Schnuck, the company now employs 14 chefs, 10 certified specialists of wine and two florists certified by the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).  "We continue cultivating expertise and investing heavily in quality and food safety all the while keeping prices down and taking care of more than 15,000 teammates.  It's largely due to their cost-cutting efforts that we've been able to considerably lower retail prices without compromising the quality reputation that makes us who we are," he said.

"In a time when standards are being challenged and shortcuts taken, Schnucks is taking a stand for quality.  Every day, we rededicate ourselves to our goal by maintaining investments in education and training and in living up to our own rigorous food safety standards recognized as among the best in the industry.  In the past, we've been silent on what we now believe is one of our greatest strengths.  It's time that our customers hear about the 'The Schnucks Difference,'" Schnuck said.

Schnucks Peace of Mind Quality is part two of the company's new business platform.  In January, Schnucks launched Peace of Mind Pricing promising value offerings on bananas (an item found in nearly 90% of all grocery carts) and 1,700 other high volume grocery and dairy food items - those most likely to be purchased weekly.  The company believes these two strengths help differentiate Schnucks as the one grocery source offering customers the very best of both quality and value.