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Renee Perry BRCGS Professional of Year Award-2021
Renee Perry, the Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager of Culimer USA LLC, was awarded the BRCGS Professional of the Year Award, 2021. The BRC Global Standard (BRCGS) has been developed to provide a framework for managing product safety, quality, and legality for non-manufacturing businesses and is recognized under the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked standards.
Culimer USA is best known for supplying clean, all-natural, sustainable, and traceable sushi ingredients to large sushi operators across sushi restaurant chains (Kura Sushi) and high-end restaurants in the US. Culimer USA specializes in high-quality products such as super frozen tuna (-76F tuna), salmon, shrimp, hamachi, kanpachi, and kanikama sourced from high-quality suppliers across the the world.
Renee, Vice President of CSR & ESG, leads by example and reminds her colleagues about the importance of a food safety mindset every day. Renee has helped to transform the food safety culture at Culimer USA through constant learning, team training, and the implementation of rigorous standards for team members to adhere to. The end consumer is at the heart of everything Renee does. Her biggest achievement is giving Culimer USA more confidence in the food and ingredients it supplies, allowing the company to provide trusted, safe food for everyone they serve.
Renee understands that employees are one of Culimer USA’s most important assets and that good training is critical to their success. Renee has a passion and enthusiasm for interactive training, whereby trainees and delegates share experiences and learn from each other. She has worked tirelessly to train and encourage the Culimer USA team, and as a result, more than 33% of team members are now BRCGS Professionals and more than 75% are HACCP trained.
When asked what winning the BRC Professional of the year award meant to Renee, she explained, “Professionally I will be able to connect with more people on a bigger scale and help to promote the BRCGS Professional as a vital part of the BRCGS Certification Program. This prestigious award would highlight that Culimer USA & I are setting the standard within our industry and advancing our mission to provide safe and high-quality sushi ingredients in North America”.
“Being recognized by the BRCGS Americas team will go a long way in solidifying Culimer USA's reputation as a trustworthy brand that delivers safe food."
“Being recognized by the BRCGS Americas team will go a long way in solidifying Culimer USA’s reputation as a trustworthy brand that delivers safe food. The recognition would increase my visibility as well as the visibility of the company within the industry and with suppliers, vendors, and customers. Culimer USA will continue to endorse the BRCGS Professional scheme with 37.5% of staff already professionals. Lastly, the award would highlight Culimer USA’s commitment to the BRCGS and the Professional program for continuous learning and the improvement of our food safety culture”, explained Renee Perry.
Renee has drastically improved the company’s product integrity and risk management through the implementation of software platforms such as 3iVerify, Trace Register, and GS1, making Culimer USA a market leader in traceability. In December 2020, Renee successfully conducted the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Chain of Custody Certification audit and passed with zero non-conformances, which allows Culimer USA to carry MSC- and ASC-certified seafood products.
Renee regularly participates in professional food safety panel discussions and more recently has been in demand as a panelist and presenter. In Sept 2020, she was invited to speak during a Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance webinar, where she presented her experiences as a BRCGS Global Standards Professional. This webinar discussed the connection between an organization’s investment in virtual training and the strength and integrity of its program for a robust food safety culture. Renee also was a keynote speaker at the GS1 Traceability conference in 2022.
About the BRCGS
The BRC Global Standards (BRCGS) is a leading brand and consumer protection organization, used by over 29,000 certified suppliers in over 130 countries, with certification issued through a global network of accredited certification bodies. The BRCGS was the first standard in the world approved by the GFSI benchmark committee. The BRC Global Standards are commonly considered a fundamental requirement by leading retailers and food processors in Europe and North America.
About Culimer USA
Culimer USA is a leading resource for sushi programs. The company aims to be all-natural, sustainable, traceable, and ethically sourced. Working with sushi operators, supermarkets, restaurant groups, and other food management companies, Culimer’s mission is to continuously raise the standards of retail sushi until they are equal to those in Japan. Culimer achieves this by matching best-in-class producers with operators seeking to have the best programs in the US.
Read the full list of winners at BRCGS.