LISLE, Ill.– Transparency in food labeling continues to top the list of consumer expectations, showing no sign of surrendering the No. 1 spot. As consumer desire for higher-quality ingredients and fewer additives and artificial ingredients in foods intensifies, increasing numbers of consumers have started paying attention when products win industry recognition for superior quality. This should make six U.S. dairy companies especially proud that their locations have been named finalists for the Quality Chekd Irving B. Weber Award and the Quality Chekd Production Excellence Awards.
Quality Chekd Dairies, Inc., a member-owned organization of independent dairy processors, has named three outstanding dairy processors as finalists for the Irving B. Weber Award, which the organization developed and modeled after the Association for Manufacturing Excellence Award. This award represents the highest honor for overall quality throughout the Quality Chekd organization. Finalists are judged based on effective implementation of quality in all areas, from processes and products to customer service and satisfaction at a single plant location. The following dairy processors are the finalists for the 2018 Weber Award:
- Belfonte Dairy, Kansas City, Missouri
- Hiland Dairy Foods Company, Little Rock, Arkansas
- Umpqua Dairy Products, Roseburg, Oregon
Although the finalist processors operate in different states, all have one thing in common: demonstrated commitment to quality excellence in the categories of leadership, culture, production, sustainability and business ethics.
Quality Chekd will present this year's Weber Award at the 2018 QCS Leadership Conference in Austin, Texas, in November.
Quality Chekd also announced the finalists for its Production Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding processors in three categories: fluid milk, cultured dairy and ice cream. The winner in each category will be decided based on selection criteria that includes a plant audit, evaluation of all plant processes and systems for assuring product quality evaluation results. The following processors are finalists for the Production Excellence Award:
Fluid Milk Category
- Hiland Dairy Foods Company, Omaha, Nebraska
- Prairie Farms Dairy, Anderson, Indiana
- Prairie Farms Dairy, Dubuque, Iowa
Cultured Dairy Category
- Prairie Farms Dairy, Quincy, Illinois
- Sunshine Dairy Foods, Portland, Oregon
- Umpqua Dairy Products, Roseburg, Oregon
Ice Cream Category
- Belfonte Dairy, Kansas City, Missouri
- Lochmead Dairy, Junction City, Oregon
- Umpqua Dairy Products, Roseburg, Oregon
Winners of Quality Chekd Production Excellence Awards also will be announced at the QCS Leadership Conference in November. Quality Chekd extends warm congratulations to each of the Weber Award and Production Excellence Award finalists for their continued commitment to superb quality and outstanding production processes.
About Quality Chekd Dairies, Inc.
Quality Chekd works on behalf of dairy processors by providing them with services to improve business success, as well as providing consumers with safe, delicious dairy products. Food safety is first, and Quality Chekd has established quality assurance (QA) measures and evaluations, laboratory resources, and employee training and planning that include and surpass government regulations. Members have access to human resource tools, marketing trends and information, and purchasing opportunities to help them maintain costs. All of these services are part of the Quality Chekd trademark, which signifies product excellence. For more information about the Quality Chekd organization or membership, please visit www.qchekd.com.
Source: Quality Chekd Dairies, Inc.
