Press Release via EINPresswire
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, November 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — As brands seek new ways to develop and maintain trust from their food allergic consumers, MenuTrinfo can offer ANAB-accredited certification to take food allergy confidence to the next level.
Stauffer’s, based out of York, Pennsylvania, and home of the original and iconic animal cracker, can attest. The brand’s long-running standing in the snack space dates back to 1871 when the original animal cracker was founded. For reference, this is the same year as the start of Major League Baseball.
Displaying [the MenuTrinfo] seal draws attention to our product and highlight that these allergens are not in our facilities and also reflects how seriously we take food allergies here at Stauffer’s.
John Rubendall, Stauffer’s Manager of Food Safety and Quality
As food allergy awareness rises, companies like Stauffer’s work with their consumer base’s needs to highlight peanut-free products and ensure they remain impressive among their counterparts. Stauffer’s Manager of Food Safety and Quality, John Rubendall, identified MenuTrinfo as a company that could provide the proper accredited certification to take their product to the next level.
“We take allergies extremely seriously and want to show that these ideas are at the front of our minds to prevent cross-contact and eliminate risks of sickness,” Rubendall said. “The last thing we want is somebody getting sick from our products.”
Stauffer’s has adopted an “Absolute Safety” protocol in the company, which is why they wanted to certify the animal cracker “Certified Free From Peanuts.” Maintaining the “Absolute Safety” mindset was a significant reason for going through MenuTrinfo’s rigorous audit and receiving the certification.
“Absolute Safety means we do everything in our power to ensure we are not risking the health of our customers and even our employees,” Rubendall said. “Having that certifying body [MenuTrinfo] there to do that gives us that extra level of confidence in our policies and procedures.”
MenuTrinfo’s Certified Free From™ program is recognized by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) as meeting the rigorous International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17065 standards for certifying bodies. They are the first certification of their kind to reach this level of accreditation. That is a massive draw for them as a company, providing consumer packaged goods (CPGs) with seals that are easy to identify and display, allowing maximum consumer trust and confidence.
“Customers are looking at the front of the package without even having to read the ingredients,” said Rachel Smith, Regulatory Compliance Specialist. “They know immediately that our product is safe for their children.”
MenuTrinfo understands that brands across the country are starting to adhere to these standards, reaching out to us in hopes of delivering a new, higher level of confidence in their products. Buyers are more interested in seeing these accredited seals because it is a matter of life and death for many of the over 32 million people who suffer from food allergies in the United States.
The seal allows “soft claims” to become validated claims backed by accredited industry standards. There’s no question about what ingredients you are getting in your products. Anyone can make soft claims. For example, a product can claim that it is peanut-free, but until it is officially recognized as possessing specific standards audited by an authoritative entity, the guarantee of “Certified Free From Peanuts” is not there.
“Displaying this seal will draw attention to our product and highlight that these allergens are not in our facilities,” Rubendall said. “It also reflects how seriously we take food allergies here at Stauffer’s.”
Betsy Craig, CEO and Founder of MenuTrinfo, knows that her company holds the standards to the Certified Free From certification program, and knows a legacy company like Stauffer’s implementing these types of certifications is great for the food allergy industry.
“It is simply wonderful to see an iconic brand like Stauffer’s go the extra mile, allow auditors to visit in person on site, require regular testing and get fully Certified Free From Peanuts to deliver confidence to their consumers,” Craig said. “It is an honor to be part of that solution, as consumers look for accredited seals and standards to know all is well and can be trusted more than ever before.
For turnkey allergy solutions for your dining facility, visit www.menutrinfo.com/info.
