_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Applegate
Farms
“ What makes us so unique is that we are a mission-based company , with our vocation driving a large part of our culture . In line with this mission , our focus is on fostering a healthy population , planet , and animals , all of which are raised with the highest human standards , giving them the best possible life . Essentially , we treat them with the utmost respect , as do all of our farming partners and suppliers ,” he continues .
Innovative products
Throughout its history , Applegate has consistently grown its product portfolio , resulting in wider popularity and awareness of its brand and mission . Joe tells us more about the company ’ s current offerings . “ When Steve McDonald , our Co-founder , started the business , his vision was to create a clean hot dog . He couldn ’ t grasp why there weren ’ t cleaner options available in the market and why hot dogs had to be these nitrate-filled meat sticks , so to speak . Thus , our first product line consisted of clean , natural hot dogs , and we later expanded into deli or lunch meats . The movement against antibiotics in
livestock began a few years later , in the early 1990s , marking our first foray into raising animals without any antibiotics .
“ Today , our products span 14 categories , with a couple more coming soon that we are very excited about . These categories range from hot dogs and bacon to breakfast sausages , breaded chicken and deli meats . Many of our items have become staples throughout the US , namely our gluten-free range , as an important portion of our consumer base is highly focused on avoiding allergens . We go to great lengths to offer a selection of products free from the top nine allergens , and 70 percent of our portfolio is gluten-free . As a result , we have established ourselves as a trusted brand for consumers concerned about allergies . The framework we follow when creating new products is very thorough as we strive to address specific consumer needs . This includes considerations around whether the product is natural , organic , made through regenerative farming , or contains any allergens . No matter the target audience , we do not use any genetically modified ingredients in any of our products ,” he enlightens . foodchainmagazine . com 43