WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute today honored five companies at the 2024 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in New Orleans with its highest award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Those five companies are American Foods Group, Bob Evans Farms, Catelli Brothers, Fresh-Lock by Presto Products, and Tyson Foods.

“It is clear that these companies have spent thoughtful time and energy on fostering an atmosphere of inclusivity and belonging for their employees,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “The Meat Institute is proud to have members that commit to the continuous improvement of the meat and poultry industry and in the communities they serve.”

The DEI Awards were developed to recognize companies committed to promoting and implementing a DEI strategy within their organization. The application criteria includes: Mission, Vision, and Values; Goals, Targets, and Initiatives; Leadership and Accountability; Infrastructure and Implementation; Recruitment and Retention; Training and Education; Community Awareness/Engagement; and Culture.

The Meat Institute also recognized five additional companies for their outstanding efforts in DEI. Those companies are Cargill Protein, Maple Leaf Foods, OSI Group, Seaboard Foods, and Smithfield Foods. The full list of winners and award criteria are available here.

Companies including Smithfield, American Foods Group, Bob Evans Farms and Cargill showcased their DEI efforts with videos that describe their different programs and how implementing these DEI programs helped their businesses.

These companies were all eligible for Meat Institute awards because they reported data in 2023 for The Protein PACT, which is uniting the largest-ever industry effort to strengthen animal protein’s contributions to healthy people, healthy animals, healthy communities, and a healthy environment.

About the Meat Institute:

The Meat Institute is the United States’ oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. Meat Institute members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States’ output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production.