Great tasting sausage and deli meats isn’t enough: Saag’s also makes food safety a top priority.Saag’s employees work tirelessly to ensure food safety at all levels of production.

Total Quality Control
From its beginning Saag’s has recognized the importance of food safety. In 1987 it became one of the first USDA inspected facilities approved to operate as a Total Quality Control (TQC) plant. Saag’s received accreditation for its own USDA certified laboratory in 1990. This in-house facility enables Saag’s to monitor and control the processing of meat products on a continual basis to assure wholesomeness and consistency.

Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points
In 1995 Saag’s began to develop and implement a formal Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) program, four years before USDA mandated HACCP programs for all USDA operations in January 1999. Saag’s automated HACCP program was tested, validated and implemented by mid-1997.

The HACCP program ensures products meet the highest standards of food safety at every step of production. While the concept remains simple, the execution is rigorous. Making the program work demands dedication to meet the challenges in the manufacturing process and requires the total commitment of each employee.

To institute this program, Saag’s identified the potential hazards associated with each step in its manufacturing process, developed specific monitoring procedures to prevent potential hazards, and identifies and correct the slightest situation that might deviate from normal. Saag’s has allocated important resources to institute and maintain its HACCP program and has a full-time biologist on staff who swabs the plant throughout the day to check for hour-by-hour variances in microbes.