DuPont to receive the Prestigious Black Pearl Award

01/06/05 The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) has named DuPont as the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Black Pearl Award. Sponsored by Wilbur Feagan and F & H Food Equipment Company, the Black Pearl Award will be presented at the IAFP Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland in August.

This honor is given annually to one company for its efforts in advancing food safety and quality through consumer programs, employee relations, educational activities, adherence to standards and support of the goals and objectives of the Association.

Charles O. Holliday, Jr., DuPont chairman and CEO, points to safety as a core value that drives DuPont innovation and the company's success in the food safety arena. "Our quest to develop products and services that enable healthy and affordable food may begin with us, but it ends with our customers and ultimately their customers. We're honored that the International Association for Food Protection has recognized our commitment to delivering food solutions at virtually every link of the food value chain worldwide. Together, we can establish a sound platform to help ensure a safe and abundant food supply for generations to come."

DuPont's influence across the food value chain is supported by 10 key business areas, each with a focus on food production and services – including crop protection and commercial seed production, clean and disinfect technologies, ingredients manufacturing, food and drink processing and packaging, pathogen detection and risk assessment.

Kraft Foods is one business that has utilized DuPont safety innovations to enhance its own safety practices for the benefit of consumers. "DuPont is actively involved in providing leading-edge technology and services to the food safety industry," said Mark W. Carter, manager, Microbiology and Food Safety, Kraft Foods, Glenview, Illinois. "Its (DuPont) collaboration with Kraft Foods over the past 14 years is truly unique and provides a model for the industry to follow."

Through its Qualicon business, DuPont has been an IAFP Sustaining Member since 1996 and a Gold Sustaining Member since 2002, actively participating in each Annual Meeting as a sponsor, exhibitor and presenter for both the meeting and workshop.