Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced 36 new ISO 14001 environmental certifications at the company's facilities in the US and Europe.
The newly-certified facilities include 14 US plants, 21 farms and subsidiary Smithfield Prod's facility in Romania. The announcement brings the number of Smithfield Foods ISO 14001-certified locations to 578 worldwide.
ISO 14001 is the international gold standard for environmental management. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), based in Geneva, Switzerland, promotes the development and implementation of voluntary international standards for an environmental management system (EMS). A facility receiving ISO certification has implemented an EMS that includes formalised practices to protect the environment, including manure handling, waste treatment systems, water conservation, sanitation and good housekeeping practices.
To obtain ISO certification, a company must meet a rigorous and comprehensive set of requirements and criteria developed by more than 2,000 experts worldwide. The certification process is conducted by an accredited third-party auditor and ensures that anyone receiving certification has mechanisms in place to ensure, and move beyond, environmental compliance.
The 36 newly-certified facilities are:
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John Morrell/Armour Eckrich - Junction City, Kansas; Mason City, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Peru, Indiana; St. Charles, Illinois; St. James, Minnesota
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John Morrell/Patrick Cudahy - 814 Americas, Elizabeth, New Jersey
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John Morrell - Premium Pet Health, LLC, Denver, Colorado; Premium Pet Health LLC, Sioux City, Iowa
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Smithfield Packing Company - Middlesboro, Kentucky; Grayson, Kentucky
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Farmland Foods/Cook's Ham - Lincoln, Nebraska; Martin City, Kansas
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Duplin Marketing - Rose Hill, North Carolina
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Murphy Brown LLC - 21 Premium Standard Farms
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Smithfield Prod - Timisoara, Romania
With sales of US$12 billion, Smithfield Foods is the leading processor and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in the US, as well as the largest producer of hogs.
