Wornick Foods Improves Food Quality through Sustainability Initiative

CINCINNATI, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Wornick Foods, a leading manufacturer of convenience foods and customized meal solutions, announced today that a recently launched sustainability initiative has significantly reduced the company's water usage while also improving the quality of the food it produces for its co-manufacturing and military clients.

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Through the implementation of new water reclamation systems, Wornick has reduced the company's water usage by eighty percent. Water is now captured, stored and cooled in a new, high-tech closed loop system that more rapidly cools food at the end of the cooking cycle during the retort process. This efficient system increases retort capacity, additionally food quality benefits from the shorter cycle times of the process.  

"Wornick Foods is committed to investing in technology and sustainable solutions that enable us to produce the highest quality shelf stable food products," said Jon Geisler, president and CEO of Wornick Foods. "The capital investments supporting these improvements to our retort process are consistent with our sustainability initiatives and focus on improving the quality and taste of our food."

Wornick began the multi-million dollar capital project, as part of its overall sustainability program, to achieve more efficient utilization of water and greater community responsibility. One million gallons of water per day is now recycled and treated through the new chilling process inside the facility. By using less water on a daily basis, Wornick is achieving a cost savings while helping the Metropolitan Sewer District of Cincinnati (MSD) free up its sewer line capacity.

"Wornick is highly committed to sustainability. We have been one of the largest industrial users of water in Blue Ash," said Michael Hyche, vice president of operations at Wornick Foods. "Now, through the recycling of our process water and new chilling capacity, we have reduced the amount of water we purchase in addition to the amount we discharge into MSD sewers. This has resulted in a significant annual cost savings for the company."  

"We are continually evaluating new technology opportunities to increase our efficiency while decreasing our impact on the environment," added Hyche. "Wornick Foods will stay ahead of the industry with our continuous improvement to the design, development and delivery of tasty, nutritional foods for our customers."

About Wornick Foods

Wornick Foods is a leading supplier of convenience foods and military rations to institutional customers including the U.S. government and other large Consumer Product Goods companies. The company's shelf safe™ foods are co-manufactured under leading brands sold in retail and foodservice outlets throughout the United States. Wornick, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded in 1979 and employs more than 500 people.

SOURCE Wornick Foods