2012 Seven-Star Awards Highlight Food Safety Achievement in China

SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab and China Business News recognized 32 companies with 2012 Seven-Star Awards for their outstanding contributions to Food Safety & Public Health during a ceremony today at the Shanghai World Financial Center. Co-launched by Ecolab and China Business News, with technical support from the China Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST), the Seven-Star Awards and Seven-Star Alliance recognize and promote the highest standards in food safety and public health in China.

“We are committed to promoting food safety and encourage more companies to make food safety an essential part of internal corporate culture”

“Due to the success of the Seven-Star Alliance and Awards program, more companies are actively promoting food safety in China,” said Tim Wang, senior vice president and general manager of Ecolab Greater China. “Ecolab is proud to have a leadership role in improving the safety and quality of China’s food industry.”

Companies selected to receive Seven-Star Awards were evaluated over a four-month period based on the Seven-Star System, a comprehensive assessment system which advocates food safety best practices. Evaluated by a panel of food safety experts, government officials and scholars, companies were rated on their efforts to lead public health trends, promote a food safety-centric culture, implement a comprehensive organizational structure, provide raw material and inventory quality control, ensure production and transportation process integrity, provide employee training and discipline, manage suppliers and distributors effectively, and commit to food safety social responsibility.

The Seven-Star Alliance is a nationwide non-profit and non-governmental alliance embraced by experts and organizations throughout China’s food industry. The alliance encourages companies operating within China’s food industry to adhere to the food safety practices outlined in the Seven-Star System and connects food safety experts, industry, government, media and the public to strengthen food safety awareness and improve the overall quality of China’s food enterprises.

“We are committed to promoting food safety and encourage more companies to make food safety an essential part of internal corporate culture,” said Suhe Meng, chairman of CIFST. “Making sure that employees fully realize its importance and understand how to implement proper food safety techniques are the critical first steps toward developing a food safety culture.”

In addition to the Seven-Star Awards ceremony, Ecolab’s Tim Wang and Tom Ford, Ecolab vice president of Food Safety for Global Retail Services, led presentations during the Food Safety Workshop.

About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

(ECL-C)