Our Quality Assurance Program is focused on the single objective that every product behind the Western Family and Shurfine brand label will be as good as or better than the U. S. national brand leader.

The elements of our program are:

1. Tightly written product specifications
2. Sensory evaluation program
3. Independent testing lab analysis
4. Set aside program for canned fruits and vegetables
5. Plant visits
6. Product quality audit program
7. Recall program
8. Prompt resolution of consumer complaints

Tightly written product specifications
Western Family Foods has written specifications on file for every product. These are constantly being refined and updated to accommodate the wide range of products (over 6400 SKU's) and to include the constant addition of new products. Specifications are stringent and are strictly enforced.

The quality requirements for many Western Family and Shurfine canned fruit and vegetable products actually exceed US Department of Agriculture specifications, so suppliers are held accountable to the more stringent Western Family specifications.

Each USDA classification represents a wide spectrum of quality. The lowest end of Grade A quality can actually be very close to the high end of Extra Standard grade quality. Western Family specifies Grade A/Fancy or better, then hand-picks products that represent the high end of that classification, the "best of the best."

Each written specification outlines the criteria by which a product will be judged. The chart here shows a point system for factors of quality. The USDA minimum for canned Fancy Sweet Peas is 90 points. Western Family's written specifications require a minimum of 92 points. [top]

Sensory evaluation program
During product cuttings employees assign a numerical rating for each product and attribute using the 9 point Hedonic Scale.

Western Family employees participate in daily cuttings conducted as blind taste tests. These tests compare Western Family or Shurfine products to the appropriate national brands and/or national specifications. Prospective suppliers' products are tested in the same way before being accepted.

Numerical data from these cuttings are entered into a computer program that reveals any statistically significant difference between the products. Cutting summaries, which include statistical results, individual comments, and conclusions are published and sent to suppliers. [top]

Independent testing lab analysis
Western Family contracts independent laboratories to test non-food products, to make certain they are as good or better than the national brand equivalent.

Health and beauty care, over-the-counter medicines, household cleaning products, and personal care items, for example, are evaluated for perceptual qualities, physical and chemical properties, active ingredients, dimensions and weight, performance, packaging, and ingredient list verification.

Test results alert Western Family to changes in national brand formulation, packaging, and federal regulations as well as consistency and quality level. [top]

Set aside program for canned fruits and vegetables
Western Family sets aside specific lots of canned fruit and vegetable products to ensure ongoing, consistent high quality. Roy Besand, along with Western Family product managers, visits processors personally to arrange set asides, after inspecting and grading various food products. Their personal evaluation of color, flavor, size, texture, and maturity help select the most superior product available.

By planning for the future with set asides, Western Family eliminates variables that can compromise quality.

Sensory evaluation based on years of experience is the final criterion for selection of Western Family and Shurfine fruits and vegetables. [top]

Recall program
Western Family insists that all suppliers have a recall plan established in the unlikely event that a recall is necessary. A consumer complaint or a supplier alert can trigger a recall. The cause could be a health hazard or simply an unmet specification. By tracking production code dates, Western Family can immediately pinpoint the product, the supplier, the warehouses and retailers that must be alerted. [top]

Prompt resolution of consumer complaints
Western Family responds to all customer complaints within 24 hours. Any complaint from a customer triggers an immediate answer from Western Family and an inquiry to the appropriate supplier. The supplier must respond to the customer within five days. Complaints are categorized and evaluated using a system which ranks each complaint by its severity and by the ratio of complaints per quantity of product sold. [top]

Any questions regarding Western Family Foods' quality control procedures should be addressed to:
Roy Besand
Vice President of Quality Assurance
Western Family Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 4057
Portland, OR 97208 (503) 639-6300
Email: rbesand@westfam.com