Keeping the food supply safe was not an issue for Furman Foods back in 1921, when John W. Furman canned 360 glass jars of tomatoes with his wife, Emma, and their six children. Just as food processing practices have evolved over time, so too has the nation’s approach to securing food processing facilities. Today, Furman Foods uses ID cards as the first step of a greater plan to enhance its plant security.
Furman Foods is a family-owned business. By 1969, the company had sold a million cases of tomatoes and was complementing its tomato crop with beans, peppers and other vegetables sold under the Furmano’s name. The company’s roots are planted firmly in the soil of the Susquehanna River Valley of Pennsylvania. Despite this remote location, Frank Furman, Vice President of Quality, is ready to take the facility to the next level of security and quality. “The need is here,” he said. “Everything is coming together at once. Not only does security make good business sense, but it also is something we need to do for our customers.”
