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Nature's Premium Brand pork packages will carry IdentiGEN's DNA TraceBackseal at the meat case to guarantee to consumers that each cut came from theunique Nature's Premium production and processing system. Retailers carryingNature's Premium pork with DNA TraceBack include Kowalski's Markets ofMinneapolis, Minn.; Sendik's Food Markets of Milwaukee, Wisc.; New LeafCommunity Markets of Santa Cruz, Calif.; Dave's Marketplace stores of RhodeIsland; Donelan's Supermarkets of Boston, and Bogopa, a food distributorserving several international foods markets in greater New York. Nature'sPremium Pork is also available through select foodservice distributorsnationwide.
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The Nature's Premium breed-specific Duroc pigs are raised by familyfarmers in the Midwest on a strict vegetarian diet with no animal byproducts.Animals are never administered antibiotics or growth promotants. The company'sparticipating farms offer exceptional animal healthcare, sanitation and humanetreatment. Its ultra-modern processing facility is unique in the industry forits small size, eco-friendliness and dedication to safe processes.
"Simply put, this program equates to trust," said Nature's Premium Brandfounder and CEO John D. Stewart. "We take samples of the actual DNA of everyanimal in the program to assure that we are delivering the premium qualityassurances customers expect."
Nature's Premium began conducting internal trials of the DNA TraceBacksystem with IdentiGEN's U.S. lab in Lawrence, Kan., in May. The Nature'sPremium / DNA TraceBack partnership means that grocery retailers can offerNature's Premium Brand pork with confidence, knowing that, in the event of aquestion about the safety or integrity of the product, its source can bedefinitively verified, Stewart added.
Boyd Oase, Meat and Seafood Director of Kowalski's Markets, said, "From afood-safety standpoint, DNA TraceBack is extremely valuable to my department.And for my customers, it provides 100 percent reassurance that Nature'sPremium Pork is a safe, wholesome, all-natural product."
"DNA is a uniquely accurate, permanent and tamper-proof identificationtool," said IdentiGEN CEO and President Donald R. Marvin. "Because it usesnature's bar-code -- the unique DNA of every animal -- DNA TraceBack is theultimate proof of product integrity."
IdentiGEN's DNA TraceBack system is an approved USDA Process VerifiedProgram (PVP). PVP designation signifies that the USDA has verified theIdentiGEN system as a consistently reliable program in which meat processors,meat producers, retailers and consumers can have confidence. There arecurrently 36 approved USDA Process Verified Programs. Additional informationcan be found at http://processverified.usda.gov/.
About Nature's Premium Brand Pork
Established in 2007, Nature's Premium Brand LLC delivers unprecedentedconsumer benefits with the highest quality natural foods. Product offeringsinclude Antibiotic-free Fresh Pork, All-Natural Deli Meats, rBGH-Free Cheesesand All-Natural Sausages and Bacon. A true natural brand, Nature's Premium iscommitted to animal welfare, food quality and food safety. Leading retail andfoodservice outlets nationwide trust Nature's Premium Brand products for theall-natural, wholesome options their customers seek today.
Located in central Illinois, Nature's Premium's new, ultra-modern porkfacility utilizes handling and processing method
