We have hundreds of dedicated trained quality experts

Led by our experienced Quality Assurance team, in partnership with our Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement and Commodities teams, our experts receive regular training on national and global safety and quality initiatives, as well as our own internal Smucker practices. Efforts are rooted in the expectation that our quality standards will always meet and exceed that of our consumers and customers.

  • Audits of our internal manufacturing sites, partner sites and supplier sites are a key part of our Company’s quality assurance program.
  • Many employees are engaged in continuing food safety education and training with universities, technical organizations and third-party consultants across the country.

Our quality process starts well before we receive our ingredients

Each prospective supplier must complete a thorough questionnaire about their practices and is then audited in-person by a member of our Quality Assurance team. This screening process gathers information about the supplier we are directly partnering with, and often their suppliers as well.

After we formalize agreements with suppliers, we frequently repeat our audits to ensure suppliers are maintaining their commitment to deliver ingredients and goods that meet our expectations.

We're always learning and improving

Team members involved in guaranteeing the quality of our products are constantly learning and exploring new methodologies through relationships with peers, industry associations and third-party quality assurance organizations.

In the infrequent case that a customer or consumer has a poor experience with one of our products, our Quality Assurance team reviews this feedback to look for improvement opportunities. The knowledge they acquire is then shared across all our product lines.

ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAININGS

Global Food Safety Initiative (“GFSI”)

Managed by The Consumer Goods Forum, an independent global network for consumer goods retailers and manufacturers, GFSI has certified a limited number of organizations, or “auditing bodies,” whose auditing practices meet GFSI’s rigorous global quality and food safety standards. All Smucker sites are currently GFSI-certified.

Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”)

The legislation has a major focus on prevention, with risk-based priorities to ensure a safe food supply for all consumers. We have implemented all required provisions of the law for all of our manufacturing plants.

Preventive Control Qualified Individual (“PCQI”) Training

All quality managers and other plant personnel who support FSMA have undergone this required training to equip them with the tools they need to implement their plants’ food safety plans.