Cutting It Too Fine
Modern slaughter facilities—especially smaller operations—can face significant challenges when attempting to provide an efficient service to their customers. By understanding the most common challenges that plants may experience, farmers and ranchers can help improve efficiencies at slaughter facilities—and avoid unnecessary delays and costs. Slaughter plant challenges Running a slaughter facility can be financially challenging, particularly for small-scale operations with high overhead costs, including equipment, maintenance and labor, and regulatory compliance. All slaughter facilities must comply with copious regulations and standards…
The Audit Trail
The fundamental role of our team of trained auditors is to assess whether a certified operation is compliant with AGW’s standards. After visiting your business, the auditor will submit a detailed audit report to AGW’s compliance team, identifying any issues that may have arisen on the day of their visit. These are known as a non-compliance or a critical non-compliance. The compliance team will then review the audit report for accuracy and completeness, before sending a Compliance Report back to…
Testing Times
Congratulations! You’ve decided to make a commitment to non-GMO certification to meet the rapidly growing public demand for products free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically modified ingredients. You’ve carefully read AGW’s Non-GMO standards, submitted your application, and completed your first audit. You eagerly anticipate your certificate arriving in your mailbox. But after a few weeks, you start to wonder what could be taking so long? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Let’s explore what happens to your…
In the Drink
Water is arguably the most important nutrient on earth. It is “the universal solvent,” providing just the right electrical charges to free important minerals for use in the body. Water-based lymphatic fluid flows between cells to deliver nutrients and remove waste products for excretion in urine and sweat. It keeps exposed tissues moist, evaporates for cooling, and helps keep animals warm in cold weather. If water is critical to the biological processes that sustain growth, health, and reproduction, then how…
Transparency on GMO
More than half of U.S. consumers (55%) look for food and beverages that are non-GMO certified, according to The Hartman Group, a leading international food and beverage market research company. Whether their motivations include environmental sustainability, health, concerns about corporate control, and/or greater transparency in food production, today’s consumers are looking for clear, meaningful product labels that indicate whether food products contain any genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredients, if food was produced by animals fed GMO feeds, or even if…
