News & Events

To our valued customers:

We want to address possible concerns regarding our delivery trucks and product handling protocols raised by some recent media coverage.

A delivery truck from True World Foods Chicago LLC was recently stopped for a routine inspection in Indiana while en route to make grocery deliveries to several specialty Asian markets in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Most of the products in the truck were grocery items that do not require refrigeration. However, several products — cooked Asian vegetables and miso paste — were detained by the Indiana Department of Public Health. The truck was NOT transporting any meat, poultry or seafood items, as might have been implied by the media coverage.

After an internal investigation, as well as a follow up inspection by the Illinois Department of Public Health, we believe this isolated incident was a matter of confusion on the part of our driver and the personnel who loaded the truck. These products originate from Japan and are largely labeled in Japanese. There seems to have been some confusion between the Japanese text and the limited labeling translated into English. For instance, Japanese labeling on some brands of miso paste indicated product should be refrigerated after opening, while some contradictory English labeling indicated virtually identical product should be kept under refrigeration at all times.

The follow up inspection at the Chicago facility found no problems with our product handling practices. And while we have not had a problem of this nature in the past, we are nonetheless taking this opportunity to re-educate our staff and drivers regarding product labeling and transport requirements. Our standard procedure has always been that on those rare occasions when refrigerated product must be transported in a non-refrigerated truck, it is placed in an iced tote and the driver checks and records the temperature at each stop.

We can assure you and the general public that our food transportation, first and foremost, is designed to protect the safety and quality of the products you order from us. Providing products you can serve your customers with confidence is at the core of what we do every day. All True World Foods companies in the U.S. participate in the HACCP Quality Management Program, designed to monitor and control food safety and quality standards. True World Foods takes food safety very seriously and has a steadfast commitment to providing our customers premium quality products and excellent customer service.