Catering - Wisconsin Grocers Association

GREEN REPORT
H. Brooks Becomes
Sustainable
Produce
Distributor
According
to an
FMI
survey,
only
15% of
Americans are confident in
the safety of the food supply.
Phillip Brooks, President of
H. Brooks, feels the reason for
this is the constant media
attention focused on food
recalls, pesticide and bacteria
scares, and increasing food
allergies among the
population.
To combat this negative feel
for the food supply, H. Brooks
has voluntarily made changes
to become a Sustainable
Produce Distributor, certified
by the Midwest Food Alliance.
“Consumers make assumptions
when they buy local food,”
states Brooks, “they feel local
food is fresher, tastes better, is
safer and usually seasonal.”
By becoming a Certified
Sustainable Produce Distributor,
H. Brooks hopes to distinguish
themselves as a purveyor of
certified products that are
socially and environmentally
responsible. “We are proud to
take the extra steps to assure
our products’ integrity and to
have a “green” supply chain.
All farmers and ranchers that
supply to H. Brooks are
encouraged to become Food
Alliance Certified, which
means they are annually
inspected on-site by a thirdparty
to evaluate product
segregation, tracking, record
keeping systems, and to assess
performance on social and
environmental criteria.
This certification addresses
the concerns in the supply
chain regarding the traceability
and integrity of products, and
preserves the value of claims
made for social and environmentally
responsibility.
Food Alliance Certification
Program Guiding Principles
for Sustainable Growth:
1. Purity and Nutritional
Value
2. Quality Control & Food
Safety
3. Reducing Use of Toxins
and Hazardous Materials
4. Resource Management and
Recycling
5. Safe and Fair Working
Conditions
H. Brooks has also made
changes to materials used
in business, receiving and
storage standards, quality
control, food safety, cleaning
standards, water usage,
recycling, and pest
management to achieve their
Certified Sustainable Produce
Distributor distinction.
To support their customers in
the near future, H. Brooks will
supply marketing materials to
retailers that wish to promote
food safety and the commitment
of sustainability; these materials
will help to educate consumers.
H. Brooks will also be offering
training seminars to educate
growers and to ask them to
make the commitment to be
socially and environmentally
conscious.
H. Brooks has long been
recognized as one of the highest
quality produce suppliers in the
country. We are proud to be
helping to create a path for both
growers and retailers to go green!
Metcalfe’s Sentry
Celebrates Going
Green
Metcalfe Sentry exhibited at the Going
Green Wisconsin Expo.
The Going Green Wisconsin
Expo in Madison offered more
than 110 booths and 80
exhibits aimed at helping
people learn how to live and
work in a more environmentally
conscious fashion.
One of the exhibitors at the
expo was Metcalfe Sentry. The
grocery is launching its "food
miles" campaign, showing
shoppers the amount of fossil
fuels it takes for food to travel
from farm to market. In fact,
most of the cost of food goes
into transportation costs,
which is why Metcalfe's is
emphasizing buying food from
the state of Wisconsin.
"Buying Wisconsin is buying
local for us and you're helping
the environment. We're
putting money back into the
economy. You're helping local
farmers when you buy from
us. We're giving back to the
community as well," said
Brianna Purvis, of Metcalfe
Sentry. Metcalfe's said that
new vendors and producers are
coming in every day.
Pierce’s Marketplace
Portage
Announces
Expansion of
Organic and
Natural Foods
Section
Shoppers looking for natural
and organic alternatives to
conventional grocery items can
now find an extensive
selection of organic and
natural products at Pierce’s
Marketplace Portage.
Jeff Maurer, President and
General Manager of Pierce’s
Supermarket, Inc., announced
that, “A tremendous variety of
natural and organic items, as
well as specialty foods for
individuals with dietary
concerns, is now available in
the newly remodeled natural
and organic section of Pierce’s
Marketplace Portage.”
This newly designed, 160-foot
space contains only top-quality
natural and organic items,
including frozen foods and
fresh dairy products, as well as
an extensive assortment of
non-perishables. Customers
will find organic and natural
varieties including hot and
cold cereals, rice, pasta and
pasta sauces, baking
ingredients, sweets and snack
foods, non-dairy milks, juices,
tea and coffee, canned
vegetables, condiments, soups,
and much more.
Complete customer
satisfaction is a priority at
Pierce’s. The staff at Pierce’s
Marketplace Portage is
committed to continuously
expanding their natural and
organic food offerings in order
to meet the unique requests
and needs of their valued
customers.
24 WISCONSIN GROCER www.wisconsingrocers.com